Oct. 29, 2004 — Rikuzankai buy land in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward.
April 7, 2006 — Ozawa wins the DPJ presidential election.
March 3, 2009 — Takanori Okubo, then Ozawa's state-paid secretary, is arrested for alleged false reporting related to illegal donations Rikuzankai got from Nishimatsu Construction Co.
Sept. 16 — DPJ formally assumes power.
Jan. 15, 2010 — Lower House lawmaker Tomohiro Ishikawa, who was once a private secretary to Ozawa and worked for Rikuzankai, and his successor, Mitsutomo Ikeda, are arrested for alleged misreporting of funds over the land deal in Tokyo.
Jan. 16 — Okubo is arrested over the land purchase.
Feb. 4 — Prosecutors decide not to indict Ozawa.
April 27 — Prosecution inquest panel wants Ozawa charged.
Sept. 14 — Prosecution inquest panel decides again that Ozawa merits indictment, meaning he will face mandatory indictment. Ozawa loses DPJ leadership race to Naoto Kan.
Jan. 31, 2011 — Ozawa is indicted for alleged violation of the Political Funds Control Law by court-appointed lawyers.
Sept. 26 — Okubo, Ishikawa, Ikeda are found guilty by the Tokyo District Court of falsifying political fund reports for Rikuzankai.
Oct. 6 — Ozawa pleads not guilty to violating the Political Funds Control Law at the start of his Tokyo District Court trial.
Feb. 17, 2012 — The court rejects adopting as evidence most of the depositions taken by prosecutors from one of the former aides for using illegal tactics.
April 26 — Ozawa is acquitted.