Events in the year 1948 in Japan.

Incumbents

Supreme Commander Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) to the Japanese government, aiming to suppress its "milita ...

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Hirohito Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Tetsu Katayama was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1947 to 1948. He bears the distinction of having been the first socialist to serve as Prime Minister of Japan. Early life He was born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture on 28 July ...

( S–Kanagawa) until March 10,

Hitoshi Ashida was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan in 1948. He was a prominent figure in the immediate postwar political landscape, but was forced to resign his leadership responsibilities after a corruption scandal (Shōwa Denkō Jik ...

( D–Kyōto) until October 15,

Shigeru Yoshida (22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954. Yoshida was one of the longest-serving Japanese prime ministers, and is the third-long ...

( L–Kōchi, 2nd term, 1st under the Constitution of the State of Japan) *

Chief Cabinet Secretary The is a member of the cabinet and is the leader and chief executive of the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. The Chief Cabinet Secretary coordinates the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch, and also serves as the government ...

Suehiro Nishio was a Japanese labor activist and party politician whose career extended across the prewar and postwar periods. A long-serving member of the National Diet (15 terms in total), he was a power broker in the Japan Socialist Party and one of the m ...

(S–Ōsaka) until March 10, Gizō Tomabechi (D–Aomori) until October 15,

Eisaku Satō was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1972. He is the third-longest serving Prime Minister, and ranks second in longest uninterrupted service as Prime Minister. Satō entered the National Diet in 1949 as a membe ...

(not Diet member) from October 17 * Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

: Tadahiko Mibuchi * President of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

Komakichi Matsuoka was a Japanese politician and labor activist. Born in Iwami Province (present day Tottori Prefecture), Matsuoka was a steelworker at Japan Steel Works who joined Suzuki Bunji as a business agent at the predecessor to the Japanese Federation of ...

(S–Tokyo) until December 23 * President of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, ...

Tsuneo Matsudaira was a Japanese diplomat of the 20th century. Diplomatic and political career The son of Lord Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu, Tsuneo served as Japanese Ambassador to the United States. In 1929–1935 served as Ambassador to Britain, and in that ...

( Ryokufūkai–Fukushima) *

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

sessions: 2nd (regular session opened in December 1947, to July 5), 3rd (extraordinary, October 11 to November 30), 4th (regular, from December 1 to dissolution on December 23)

Governors

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

Hideo Aoyagi Hideo (ひでお) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * Hideo Den (田英夫, 1923–2009), Japanese politician and news presenter * Hideo Fujimoto (藤本英雄, 1918–1997), Japanese baseball player * ...

*Akita Prefecture: Kosaku Hasuike *Aomori Prefecture:

Bunji Tsushima Bunji or Bunji-ye may refer to: Places * Bunji-ye Karbasi, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Bunji-ye Maski, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Bunji-ye Saheli Latidan, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Bunji, Pakistan, a town in G ...

*Chiba Prefecture: Tamenosuke Kawaguchi *Ehime Prefecture: Juushin Aoki *Fukui Prefecture: Harukazu Obata *Fukuoka Prefecture:

Katsuji Sugimoto Katsuji is both a masculine Japanese given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *, better known as Mr. Hito, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese photographer *Katsuji Hasegawa (born 1946), Japanese golfer *, J ...

*Fukushima Prefecture: Kan'ichirō Ishihara *Gifu Prefecture:

Kamon Muto Kamon may refer to: *Kamon (name) *Mon (emblem), also known as kamon (家紋), a Japanese heraldic symbol * Kamon, Israel, a village See also *Camon (disambiguation) * Kumon (disambiguation) *Cimon Cimon or Kimon ( grc-gre, Κίμων; – 450B ...

*Gunma Prefecture:

Shigeo Kitano Shigeo (written: 茂雄, 茂生, 茂男, 茂夫, 成雄, 成男, 重雄, 重男, 重夫, 繁雄, 繁男, 晟郎, 殖生 or 滋雄) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese photographer *, Japanese swimm ...

(until 25 June);

Yoshio Iyoku Yoshio is both a masculine Japanese given name and a Japanese surname. Possible writings Yoshio can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *義雄, "justice, masculine" *義男, "justice, man" ...

(starting 13 August) *

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

Tsunei Kusunose was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from October 1945 to 1950. Kusunose was appointed to his position as governor at a time when the city of Hiroshima was in destruction following the first use of the nuclear bomb in August 1945. He was ...

Hokkaido Prefecture is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

Toshifumi Tanaka Toshifumi is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Toshifumi can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Some examples: *敏文, "agile, literature" *敏史, "agile, history" *敏郁, "agile, aroma/progress" *� ...

*Hyogo Prefecture:

Yukio Kishida Yukio is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yukio can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *幸夫, "happiness, man" *幸生, "happiness, live" *幸男, "happiness, man" *幸雄, ...

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

: Yoji Tomosue *

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

: Wakio Shibano *Iwate Prefecture:

Kenkichi Kokubun Kenkichi (written: 健吉, 謙吉, 鎌吉, 鍵吉 or 憲吉) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese weightlifter *, Japanese mathematician *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese nobleman *, Japanese spor ...

*Kagawa Prefecture: Keikichi Masuhara *Kagoshima Prefecture:

Kaku Shigenari Kaku may refer to: *Kaku (name) *Kaku (TV channel), a channel of Beijing TV *Kaku, Golestan, a village in Golestan Province, Iran *Kaku, Kurdistan (disambiguation), villages in Kurdistan Province, Iran * Kaku, Nepal *Kaku, Rõuge Parish, a village ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...

: Iwataro Uchiyama *Kochi Prefecture: Wakaji Kawamura *

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to ...

: Saburō Sakurai * Kyoto Prefecture: Atsushi Kimura *Mie Prefecture:

Masaru Aoki was a Japanese Sinologist. Works Aoki wrote an article named "Hu Shih and the Chinese Literary Revolution" which was published in ''Chinese Study'' (T: 支那學, S: 支那学, P: ''Zhīnà Xué'') in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Aoki's w ...

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

: Saburō Chiba *Miyazaki Prefecture: Tadao Annaka *

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

: Torao Hayashi *Nagasaki Prefecture: Sōjirō Sugiyama *Nara Prefecture: Mansaku Nomura *

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

Shohei Okada is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for Nankatsu SC are a Japanese football club based in Katsushika, Tokyo. They play in the Kantō Soccer League. As the club aims for a future qualification to the J.League, they currently hol ...

*Oita Prefecture: Tokuju Hosoda *

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

: Hirokichi Nishioka *

Osaka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture ...

: Bunzō Akama *

Saga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasak ...

: Gen'ichi Okimori *

Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

Mizo Nishimura Mizo may refer to: *Mizo people, an ethnic group native to north-eastern India, western Myanmar (Burma) and eastern Bangladesh *Mizo language, a language spoken by the Mizo people *Mizoram, a state in Northeast India *Lusei people, an ethnic group ...

Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...

: Iwakichi Hattori *Shiname Prefecture: Fujiro Hara *Shizuoka Prefecture: Takeji Kobayashi *Tochigi Prefecture: Juukichi Kodaira *Tokushima Prefecture:

Goro Abe Goro may refer to: Places Benin * Goro, Benin, an arrondissement in the Commune of Tchaourou, Borgou Ethiopia * Ejersa Goro, a town in Misraq Hararghe Zone, Oromia * Goro, Bale, a town in Bale Zone, Oromia * Goro, Mirab Shewa, a town in M ...

*Tokyo Prefecture: Seiichirō Yasui *Tottori Prefecture: Aiji Nishio *Toyama Prefecture: Tetsuji Tachi (until 15 November);

Kunitake Takatsuji Kunitake (written: 国威, 国武 or 邦武) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese women's footballer *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese historian *, Japanese politician Kunitake (written: 国武) ...

(starting 23 November) *Wakayama Prefecture:

Shinji Ono is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J1 League club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. Career Urawa Reds Ono grew up in the Shizuoka Prefecture and began his professional career with Urawa Reds in the J1 League in 1998. ...

*Yamagata Prefecture: Michio Murayama *Yamaguchi Prefecture:

Tatsuo Tanaka Tanaka Tatsuo (Japanese: 田中龍夫, Tanaka Tatsuo; September 20, 1910 – March 30, 1998) was a Japanese politician and baron. He was the eldest son of Prime Minister Tanaka Giichi. Early life and education Born on September 20, 1910, in ...

*Yamanashi Prefecture: Katsuyasu Yoshie

Events

*January 1: The

Nijūbashi Bridge is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

, a well known double arched stone bridge located between the front and middle gates of the Imperial Palace, is opened to the public *January 4: International telephone service between the United States and Japan is established. *January 5: According to Japan Transport Ministry official confirmed report, when a commuter train was running, following to two passenger cars were derail with damage in

Meitetsu Seto Line The is a Japanese railway line which connects in Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture with in Seto, Aichi. It is owned and operated by the private railway operator Meitetsu. Stations Rolling stock * 3300 series (since 17 September 2016) ...

Moriyama-ku, Nagoya is one of the wards of the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2019, the ward has an estimated population of 176,298 and a population density of . The total area is . Moriyama-ku Ward Office Geography Moriyama-ku is locat ...

, 36 persons were fatalities, 153 persons were wounded. *January 27 – According to

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard of Japan. The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Th ...

official confirmed report, a

passenger ship A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

''Joou Maru'' toward from

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

Tadotsu 270px, Shorinji Kempo head dōjō is a town located in Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 22,124 in 10365 households and a population density of 270 persons per km². The total area of the ...

Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the southwest and Tok ...

route, capsized by touch on

landmine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

off north of Shōdo Island,

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

, 154 persons were official rescue confirmed, 199 passenger and crew were perished. *February 9 –

Fujitec was founded by late Honorary Chairman, Mr. Shotaro Uchiyama in February 1948 for the purpose of research and development, manufacturing, sales, installation and maintenance of elevators, escalators and travellators. Fujitec Singapore Corp. was ...

was founded, as predecessor name was Fuji Transport Machinery Industry in

Nishi-ku, Osaka is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is in the west of central Osaka ("Nishi" means "west"), and is generally flat. 80% of the area was destroyed by bombing in World War II, and was not regenerated until the mid-1960s.Yamazaki Baking is a Japanese food company and the world's largest bread-baking corporation, that makes bread, bakery products and confectionery. It was established by Tojuro Iijima in Japan on 9 March 1948 and started mass production of bread in 1955, and is s ...

founded in Ichikawa,

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...

. *March 10:

becomes prime minister *March 31: According to Japan Transport Ministry official confirmed report, an out of control device commuter train, collision with a standing commuter train in

Kawachi-Hanazono Station 170px, 1948 train collision accident. is a passenger railway station in located in the city of Higashiōsaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Kintetsu Railway. Lines Kawachi-Hanazono Station is served by t ...

Kintetsu Nara Line The is a Japanese railway line owned by the Kintetsu Railway. The line connects Fuse Station in the eastern suburbs of Osaka to Kintetsu Nara Station in the historic city of Nara, Nara, Nara, though operationally, the line begins at Ōsaka Nam ...

, Kawachi (now Higashiosaka),

, 49 persons were human fatalities. :ja:近鉄奈良線列車暴走追突事故 (Japanese language edition) Retrieved on May 28, 2020. *May 1:

founded. *June 28:

1948 Fukui earthquake The occurred in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The magnitude 6.8 quake struck at 5:13:31 p.m.( JDT) on June 28, 1948. The quake's hypocenter was approximately 10 km north-northeast of Fukui, in the present-day neighborhood of Maruoka, Sakai City. ...

*August 1: A first issue of Daily Sports published in

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

. *September 17: According to Japanese government official document figures, a flooding river, levee collapse in around

Kitakami River The is the fourth largest river in Japan and the largest in the Tōhoku region. It is long and drains an area of . page 793 It flows through mostly rural areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures. The source of the river is the Mount Nanashirug ...

area by strong Typhoon Ione hit in northern Honshu, total 848 persons were lost to their lives with 1,956 persons were hurt. *September 24:

Honda Motor Company is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

founded. *October 5: Ashida cabinet resigns. *October 15:

becomes prime minister for a second term. *November 1: Kataoka Electronic Company, later Alps Alpine was founded. *November 12:

International Military Tribunal for the Far East The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial or the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on April 29, 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for crimes against peace, conven ...

hands down death sentences for 7 war criminals and imprisonment for 18 others. *December 7: Ashida arrested in connection with the Showa Electric scandal

Births

*January 13:

Shinji Sōmai was a Japanese film director. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000. Career and style His film '' Moving'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. His 1998 film, '' Wait and See'', won the FIPRESCI ...

, film director (died

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

) *January 18:

Ryoko Moriyama (born January 18, 1948) is a Japanese folk singer and actress. Her father is Hisashi Moriyama, a pioneer of Japanese jazz. Her son Naotarō Moriyama is a singer. Her first cousin Hiroshi Kamayatsu is also a musician. She is known as the ''Jap ...

, singer *January 24:

Machiko Satonaka is a Japanese manga artist. She made her professional debut in 1964 during her second year of high school with the one-shot ''Pia no Shōzō'' ("Portrait of Pia"). She has since created nearly 500 manga in a variety of genres. Two of her most ...

, manga writer *January 29: Mamoru Mori, astronaut *January 31:

Muneo Suzuki Muneo Suzuki (鈴木宗男 ''Suzuki Muneo'', born 31 January 1948), commonly known simply as "Muneo" due to his common last name, is a Japanese Russophilic politician from Ashoro, Hokkaidō, currently serving as a member of the House of Counc ...

, politician *February 13:

Eizo Kenmotsu is a former Japanese artistic gymnast, who won seven world titles and three Olympic gold medals between 1968 and 1979. In retirement, he became a leading Japanese coach. He also served as sports director of the Nippon Sport Science University an ...

, gymnast *February 15:

Seiji Oko Seiji Oko (大古　誠司 ''Ōko Seiji '', born 15 February 1948) is a former volleyball player from Japan, who was a member of the Japan Men's National Team that won the gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 19 ...

, volleyball player *February 19:

Kazuo Zaitsu Kazuo (カズオ, かずお) is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible spellings It has several written forms, and the meaning depends on the characters used (usually kanji, but sometimes hiragana). Common forms include: * 一雄: first son, ...

, singer-songwriter *March 8: Kiyomi Kato, wrestler *March 26: Ayumi Ishida, singer and actress *April 12: Tatsue Kaneda, enka singer *April 16:

Kazuyuki Sogabe Kazuyuki Sogabe ( (formerly ) ''Sogabe Kazuyuki'', April 16, 1948 – September 17, 2006) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, musician and narrator. During his life, he has been attached to Theatre Echo; he was attached to Aoni Production at the t ...

, voice actor (died

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

) *May 15 **

Yutaka Enatsu is a former Japanese pitcher regarded as one of the best Japanese strikeout pitchers of all-time. In , he recorded 401 strikeouts, which is still the world record. Enatsu was a bit player in the Black Mist Scandal which embroiled Japanese baseb ...

, former professional baseball pitcher **

Kiyoshi Ueda is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors for the Saitama at-large district after winning a by-election in 2019. He has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, signaling his opposition to any and all tax i ...

, politician and former Saitama governor *May 26: Jyun Mayuzumi, singer *June 8:

Naomi Miyake was a Japanese cognitive psychologist. She was a professor at Chukyo University and the University of Tokyo. She is best known for her research on learning and collaboration, in the field of cognitive science. Biography Miyake was born and ...

, cognitive scientist (died

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

) *June 25:

Kenji Sawada is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and actor, best known for being the vocalist for the Japanese rock band The Tigers. Nicknamed because of his self-professed adoration of Julie Andrews, he was born in Tsunoi, Iwami (now part of Totto ...

, singer *July 13:

Chinatsu Nakayama Chinatsu Nakayama is a Japanese voice actress, writer, and politician. Biography Nakayama was born in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan on July 13, 1948. She began acting on stage as a child in 1955, then her family moved to Tokyo with the encouragement ...

, writer and former politician *July 22:

Toshio Tamogami General is a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force career military officer. He served as the Chief of Staff of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force from March 2007 until October 2008. Tamogami turned to politics in 2014 as a candidate for governor of Tokyo a ...

, Air Self-Defense Force career military officer *August 8: Bibari Maeda, actress *August 30:

Yōsui Inoue is a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, guitarist and record producer, who is an important figure in Japanese music. "Hailed as the Bob Dylan of Japan .. He is renowned for his unique tone, eccentric lyrics, and dark sunglasses which he alway ...

, singer-songwriter *October 20: Jun Maki, copywriter (died

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

) *November 3: Takashi Kawamura, politician and current Nagoya mayor *November 12:

Banjō Ginga , sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to voice actress Gara Takashima. Known for his deep baritone voice, ...

, voice actor *November 15:

Hiroe Yuki (15 November 1948 – 7 September 2011 in Tokyo) was a Japanese badminton player. She won numerous major international titles from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. Career Yuki was among the most notable of a cadre of fine players who helped ...

, badminton player (died

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

) *November 29:

Yōichi Masuzoe is a Japanese politician who was elected to the position of governor of Tokyo in 2014 and resigned in June 2016 due to the misuse of public funds. He was previously a member of the Japanese House of Councillors and the Japanese Minister of Heal ...

, politician and former governor of Tokyo *December 6:

Yoshihide Suga is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2020 to 2021. He had served as Chief Cabinet Secretary during the second administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fro ...

, incumbent

Prime Minister of Japan The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...

*December 11:

Shinji Tanimura is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Career Tanimura set up the musical group Alice together with Takao Horiuchi in 1971 and released his first extended play musical album in the following year. Alice produced its first album two years later. Dur ...

, singer-songwriter *December 18: Yōichi Fukunaga, former jockey

Deaths

*March 6 –

Kan Kikuchi , also known as Kan Kikuchi (which uses the same kanji as his real name), was a Japanese author. He established the publishing company Bungeishunjū, the monthly magazine of the same name, the Japan Writer's Association and both the Akutagawa ...

, writer and novelist (b.

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

) *April 12 –

Masaomi Yasuoka was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Biography Military career Yasuoka was born in Sendai city, Kagoshima Prefecture (present day Satsumasendai, Kagoshima) and was the son of an officer in the Imperial Japanese ...

, lieutenant general (b.

1886 Events January–March * January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885. * January 5– 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson's novella ''Strange ...

) *April 17 –

Kantarō Suzuki Baron was a Japanese general and politician. He was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, member and final leader of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association and Prime Minister of Japan from 7 April to 17 August 1945. Biography Early li ...

, admiral and former prime minister (b.

1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...

) *April 20 –

Mitsumasa Yonai was a Japanese general and politician. He served as admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Minister of the Navy, and Prime Minister of Japan in 1940. Early life and career Yonai was born on 2 March 1880, in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, the firs ...

, admiral and former prime minister (b.

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

) *June 13 –

Osamu Dazai was a Japanese author. A number of his most popular works, such as '' The Setting Sun'' (''Shayō'') and ''No Longer Human'' (''Ningen Shikkaku''), are considered modern-day classics. His influences include Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Murasaki Shiki ...

, novelist (suicide) (b.

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

) *December 23 – Japanese war leaders (hanged): **

Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assistan ...

, general and former prime minister (b.

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

) **

Seishirō Itagaki was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and War Minister from 1938 to 1939. Itagaki was a main conspirator behind the Mukden Incident and held prestigious chief of ...

general (b.

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

) **

Heitarō Kimura was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging. Biography Kimura was born in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, but was raised in Hiroshima prefecture, which he considered to be h ...

, general (b.

) **

Kenji Doihara was a Japanese army officer. As a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, he was instrumental in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. As a leading intelligence officer, he played a key role to the Japanese machinations that le ...

, general (b.

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

) **

Kōki Hirota was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1936 to 1937. Originally his name was . He was executed for war crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War at the Tokyo Trials. Early life Hirota was ...

, diplomat and former prime minister (b.

1878 Events January–March * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Battle o ...

) **

Iwane Matsui was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and the commander of the expeditionary force sent to China in 1937. He was convicted of war crimes and executed by the Allies for his involvement in the Nanjing Massacre. Born in Nagoya, Matsui chose ...

, general (b.

) **

Akira Mutō was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He was convicted of Japanese war crimes, war crimes and was executed by hanging. Mutō was implicated in both the Nanjing Massacre and the Manila massacre. Biography Mutō was a ...

, general (b.

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1948 In Japan Years of the 20th century in Japan 1940s in Japan