The presence of Moga

What are Moga? "The Modern girl" was a movement that occured in Japan during the Taisho Era where young women embraced the western style as a form of liberation from the traditional, men driven ideologies in Japan in search for financial and emotional independence.

We can see a couple examples of what might be Moga when Tanjiro arrives to Tokyo!

Muzan's own wife seems to follow Moga fashion even!

But we can't be sure if that's due to her own choice or Muzan trying to push his wish for Modernity on her, you know that demon denies staying in the past so probably would ask his wife to Mordernize herself as well -Even though between women her age and social status back then, wearing traditional japanese kimonos was the "Normal". Men were the ones who normally to show wealth wore western fashion-

The term of "Moga" was actually not adopted until 1923, but the movement could be tracked to the publishing of magazines as The Housewife's Friend, which was founded in 1917.

So if we follow these mere hints, we could say that Demon Slayer takes place between 1917 - 1923.

But there is something else that could give us THE EXACT YEAR of when the story takes place!

The Yoshiwara District and its destruction

The flashiest arc of the story takes places in The Enterteinment District of Yoshiwara, one of the 3 three licensed and well-known red-light districts in Japan alongside Shimabara and Shinmachi.

Knowing that this is Yoshiwara gives us an excellent reference of what year the story could take place in, and while personally I am not sure if Gotōge did it intentionally or not -Probably it was- The destruction of Yoshiwara in the battle against Gyutaro and Daki could have been easily been hidden by the Demon Slayer Corps by one catastrophe that happened in Japan during that time: The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake

The district of Yoshiwara was destroyed to point of near-obliteration after this catastrophe in Japan. And while a great tragedy, it could give the best smoke curtain to such big battle as the one against the Sixth Upper Moon was, as we know- The Enterteinment District got pretty roughed up during that battle, thanks Gyutaro.

SO! With this, I can say that the year in which the main story of Demon Slayer might take place in is 1923!

So with that settled! We can go into the timeline!

Meiji Era (1896 - 1912)

1898: Jigoro Kuwajima (35) retires from being the Rumble Hashira due to an injury

1904: Suicide of Kagaya Ubuyashiki's father, Kagaya (4) raises as the new Oyakata-Sama

1909: Death of Kagaya (9) 's younger brothers: Senri (8) and Akito (6), and of their mother, by a house fire provoked by Senri.

1911: Ruka Rengoku dies. Leaving Kyojuro (8) and Senjuro (2) without their mother, Shinjuro Rengoku, the current Flame Hashira, starts spiralling into a heavy depression.

Taishō Era (1912-1926)

1914: Kaigaku (11-12) lets a demon into the orphanage run by Gyomei Himejima (18), all the orphans die with the exception of one who frames Gyomei as the killer. Kagaya (14) saves Himejima from execution.

1915: Giyu Tomioka (13) succeeds in his Final Selection.

1916: Gyomei Himejima (20) becomes the Stone Hashira.

Tengen Uzui (16) joins the Demon Slayer Corps.

1918: Giyu Tomioka (16) becomes the Water Hashira. Tengen Uzui is already the Sound Hashira and Kanae Kocho is already the Flower Hashira.

Sanemi Shinazugawa (16) becomes the Wind Hashira

1919: Kanae Kocho (17), dies fighting the Upper Moon 2: Douma.

1921: Shinobu Kocho (16) becomes the Insect Hashira.

The Kamado family is slaughtered by Muzan, Nezuko (12) is the only survivor and turned into a demon. Tanjiro (13) tries to get his sister to a doctor, and on the way are attacked, and spared, by the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka (19)

Kyōjurō Rengoku (18) becomes the Flame Hashira.

1922: Obanai Iguro (20) becomes the Serpent Hashira

Muichirō Tokito (13) becomes the Mist Hashira.

Mitsuri Kanrōji (18) becomes the Love Hashira

1923: Giyū Tomioka (21), Shinobu Kōchō (18), Kyōjurō Rengoku (20), Mitsuri Kanrōji (19), Obanai Iguro (21), Sanemi Shinazugawa (21), Gyōmei Himejima (27), Tengen Uzui (23) and Muichirō Tokito (14) are the current generation of Hashiras under the leadership of Kagaya Ubuyashiki (23)

Tanjiro Kamado (15), Inosuke Hashibira (15), Kanao Tsuyuri (16), Genya Shinazugawa (16) and Zenitsu Agatsuma (16) succeed on their Final Selection. The main story of Demon Slayer starts.

1924: Muzan Kibutsuji is defeated and the demons are destroyed once and for all.