1953:

1953: Japan’s Crown Prince Akihito (far right) visits Donald Douglas Jr. and Sr. (left and second from left respectively) in Santa Monica, Calif.

1954: Japan Airlines (JAL) goes international with new Douglas DC-6Bs

1956: Japan becomes United Nations member 1956: Boeing and trading house Nissho Corp. join forces

1956: North American Aviation (now part of Boeing) licenses Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build F-86 Sabre fighter

1960: United States–Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security signed

1960: Douglas delivers Japan’s first jetliner, a DC-8, to JAL

1963: Japan lifts restrictions on citizens’ overseas travel

1964: JAL and All Nippon Airways (ANA) announce selection of Boeing 727

1964: Tokyo Summer Olympics broadcast live via Hughes satellites sent into orbit by Douglas-built Delta rockets and Rocketdyne engines

1966: JAL is second airline to order 747

1969: Japan, United States sign agreement to cooperate in space for peaceful purposes

1969: Japan sets up National Space Development Agency

1971: McDonnell Douglas delivers two F-4E Phantoms to Japan Air Self Defense Force

1973: JAL begins 747SR short-range shuttle service between Tokyo and Naha, Okinawa

1973: JAL orders DC-10s

1975: Japan becomes world’s third country to launch satellite into geostationary orbit

1977: Japan orders F-15J Peace Eagles, with most built in Japan under license to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

1978: Boeing, Japan Civil Transport Development Corporation sign contract on 767 production

1980: Japan Maritime Self Defense Force first places orders for McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) Harpoon anti-ship missiles

1982: First F-15Js enter service

1984: Japan receives first CH-47 Chinooks, which Kawasaki Heavy Industries builds

1985: Japan Satellite Systems awards Hughes Space and Communications Company (now part of Boeing) contract for Model 393 communications satellites and two satellite control stations in Japan

1986: Larry Dickenson becomes Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP of Asia-Pacific Sales

1987: Japanese government privatizes JAL

1990: ANA becomes world’s second airline to order 777

1991: Japan Aircraft Development Corp. signs contract with Boeing to help develop and manufacture 777

1991: JAL signs up for 777; Boeing holds first-ever board of directors meeting in Japan

1993: Japan launches 767-based AWACS

1993: McDonnell Douglas delivers first MD-11 to JAL

1997: Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit earns Ph.D. from Science University of Tokyo

1997: Hughes builds and launches first of three satellites for Japan’s Space Communications Corp.

1998: JAL takes delivery of its record 100th 747

2000: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Boeing sign strategic aerospace alliance

2000: Boeing holds first International Technology Summit in Tokyo

2001: Boeing, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. sign strategic partnership alliance

2001: Japan selects AH-64D Apache Longbow as JGSDF’s next attack helicopter

2001: Japan becomes second country to order 767 Tanker Transport

2002: Robert “Skipp” Orr named Boeing Japan president

2002: BCA, Japan Aircraft Industries and Japan Aircraft Development Corporation agree to conduct R&D work on technologies for Boeing’s next-generation airplanes

2002: JAL signs letter of intent to install Connexion by Boeing on 10 long-haul airplanes; Mitsubishi Electric a Connexion partner 2003: Boeing, Japan Defense Agency, and trading company ITOCHU sign contract for Japan Air Self Defense Force 767 Tanker Transport program

2003: ANA announces order of about 45 Boeing Next-Generation 737s

2003: JAL, Boeing executives celebrate JAL’s 149th and 150th Boeing twin-aisle airplane deliveries (above)