History
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| ? | Numerous stone tools are discovered at the Minamihanada site. |
| ? | Stone tools and earthenware from the Jomon period are discovered at sites in Yotsuike, and Kusabe. |
| ? | Earthenware and dugout house remains are discovered at the Yotsuike site. |
| Ceremonial bell-shaped bronze vessels are discovered near Hamaderashowa-cho, Shimoda-cho, Takao, Ebaraji-cho, and Tokikita. | |
| ? | The name "Sue-mura" ("Sue Village") appears in the Nihonshoki, one of Japan's earliest historical works. |
| The Nintoku-ryo tumulus, Richu-ryo tumulus, and other burial mounds are constructed. | |
| Large numbers of Sueki-style earthenware are manufactured at Sue-mura. | |
| 646 | The Taika Reform is promulgated by imperial edict. |
| Sakai becomes part of the ancient kingdoms of Settsu and Kawachi. | |
| 704 | The Buddhist monk Gyoki founds Ebaraji Temple. |
| 716 | Izumigen is created from Otori, Izumi, and Hine-gun. |
| 727 | Construction of the earthen pagoda at Onodera Temple begins. |
| 740 | Otori, Izumi, and Hine-gun are absorbed by the ancient kingdom of Kawachi. |
| 757 | The ancient kingdom of Izumi is created from Otori, Izumi, and Hine-gun. |
| 935 | The name "Ishizu" appears in Ki-no-Tsurayuki's Tosa Diary. |
| 1045 | By this year, the name "Sakai" appears in collections of Fujiwara Sadayori's poetry. |
| 1081 | The name "Sakai-no-Kodo" appears in Fujiwara Tamefusa's diary. |
| 1234 | After being determined to be part of Kitasho in the ancient kingdom of Settsu, Sakai-so ("Sakai Manor") is transferred from Fukakusanoin to Eifukumonin. However, it continues to serve Henjokoin. |
| 1258 | Sakai-so ("Sakai Manor"), part of the domain of Saishokouin Temple in the ancient kingdom of Settsu, begins collecting a land tax. |
| ? | Sakurai Shrine's hall of worship (a national treasure) is completed. |
| 1325 | Sakaikita-so ("Sakaikita Manor") is recorded as belonging to the domain of the Saishokouin Temple. |
| 1336 | Sakaikita-so ("Sakaikita Manor") is transferred to the domain of the Sumiyoshi Shrine. |
| 1338 | Kitabatake Akiie is killed in fighting in Ishizu. |
| 1399 | Ashikaga Yoshimitsu attacks Sakai's Ouchi Yoshihiro. |
| Tradition holds that 10,000 homes in Sakai burn to the ground. | |
| 1474 | Merchants from Sakai travel to the Ryukyuu islands under orders from the shogunate. |
| 1476 | A ship carrying merchants from Sakai departs for Ming China. |
| ? | A group of wealthy merchants known as the kaigoshu assume control of the city's government. |
| 1550 | Christian missionary Francis Xavier visits Sakai. |
| 1564 | Christian missionary Luis Frois visits Sakai. |
| 1568 | Oda Nobunaga levies a war tax of 20,000 kan on the city. The kaigoshu refuse but are soon forced to relent. |
| 1577 | Oda Nobunaga inspects Sakai. |
| 1586 | Toyotomi Hideyoshi fills in the moats around Sakai. |
| 1600 | Tokugawa Ieyasu establishes a magistrate's office in Sakai. |
| The Dutch ship Deliefde visits Sakai. | |
| 1604 | The shogunate authorizes merchants in Sakai to undertake sea voyages for purposes of trade. |
| ? | Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyori both order guns from Sakai craftsmen. |
| 1615 | Sakai burns to the ground in the Osaka summer battle. |
| 1704 | The Shinyamatogawa River is created. |
| ? | New rice paddies are developed at a fast rate. |
| ? | The cutlery industry begins to flourish in Sakai. |
| 1810 | The Port of Sakai is rebuilt (currently the Old Port of Sakai). |
| 1868 | Sakai Prefecture is created. |
| 1877 | The Western-style wooden lighthouse at Ohama is constructed. |
Sakai Prefecture Sakai Prefecture continues to expand with a series of
mergers. At its height, the prefecture includes most of what is now eastern and
southern Osaka Prefecture as well as Nara Prefecture. |
|
| 1881 | Sakai Prefecture is absorbed into Osaka Prefecture. |
| 1885 | Service begins between Nanba (Osaka) and Yamatogawa on the Hankai Railroad (currently the Nankai Line), Japan's first private railway. |
| 1888 | Service begins between Yamatogawa and Azumabashi (currently Sakai Station) on the Hankai Railroad (currently the Nankai Line). |
| 1889 | Sakai establishes a municipal system. The first City Council meets at Shukuin Elementary School. |
| 1895 | The city emblem is adopted combining three of the Japanese characters for "city", symbolizing Sakai's location at the borders of the three ancient kingdoms of Settsu, Kawachi, and Izumi. |
| 1898 | Service begins between Oshoji (currently Sakaihigashi Station) and Nagano on the Koya Railroad (currently the Nankaikoya Line). |
| 1903 | The acquarium is completed in Ohama. |
| 1912 | The Hankai Railroad (currently the Hankai Line) is completed. |
| 1913 | Ohama Shioyu opens and becomes popular for its girls' opera. |
| 1920 | Japan's first national census is completed (Sakai's population numbers 84,995). |
| 1922 | Flight service begins between Sakai and Shikoku, the first private aviation in Japan. |
| 1929 | Service begins between Tennnoji and Izumifuchu on the Hanwa Railroad (currently the Hanwa Line). |
| 1934 | Sakai is seriously damaged in the Murato typhoon. |
| ? | Old National Route 26 and the Osaka-Izumi-Sennan Line are completed. |
| 1944 | Ohama Shioyu is closed. |
| 1945 | Most of downtown area burns to the ground in air raids. |
| 1958 | Construction begins on Sakai coastal industrial zone. |
| 1961 | Aquarium is closed. | 1966 | Construction of the Semboku New Town begins. |
| 1967 | Friendship City affiliation is established between Sakai and Berkeley,California. |
| 1977 | Service begins between Nakamozu and Komyoike on the Semboku-Kosoku Line. |
| 1983 | Friendship City affiliation is established between Sakai and Lianyungang,China |
| 1989 | Sakai celebrates the city's centenary. |
| The Holland Festival '89 is held in Osaka ("Da-ha Land"). | |
| 1994 | Friendship City affiliation is established between Sakai and Wellington, New Zealand. |
| 1996 | Sakai becomes a core urban city. |
| 2000 | The World Performing Arts Festival ("Washoi! 2000") is held in Sakai. |
| 2006 | Sakai becomes a designated city by ordinance, the classification that affords the greatest degree of local autonomy within Japan's system of government. |