1850s in Japan

Emperor of Japan from 1846 to 1867

were the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, under foreign diplomatic and military pressure, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunate to the modern empire of the Meiji government. The major ideological-political divide during this period was between the pro-imperial nationalists called and the shogunate forces, which included the elite swordsmen.

was a after Kaei and before ''Man'en''. This period spanned the years from November 1854 through March 1860. The reigning emperor was .

was a after Kōka and before Ansei. This period spanned the years from February 1848 through November 1854. The reigning emperor was .

a series of three major earthquakes that struck Japan during the Ansei era (1854–1860)