Events in the year 1973 in Japan. It corresponds to Shōwa 48 (昭和48年) in the Japanese calendar.

Incumbents

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:

Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1947 Japanese general election, 1947 to 1990 Japanese general election, 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. After ...

( Liberal Democratic) *

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 ...

: Susumu Nikaido *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 ...

: Kazuto Ishida until May 19, Tomokazu Murakami from May 21 *President of the House of Representatives: Umekichi Nakamura until May 29, Shigesaburō Maeo *President of the House of Councillors:

Kenzō Kōno Kenzō Kōno ( ja, 河野謙三) (May 14, 1901 – October 16, 1983) was President of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (1965–1975). He was the younger brother of his predecessor, Ichirō Kōno and the uncle of Yōhei Kōno (Ichiro' ...

*Diet sessions: 71st (extraordinary session opened on December 22, 1972, to September 27), 72nd (regular, December 1 to June 3, 1974)

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 ...

: Mikine Kuwahara *Akita Prefecture: Yūjirō Obata *Aomori Prefecture:

Shunkichi Takeuchi Shunkichi (written: 俊吉 or 駿吉) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese field hockey player *, Japanese photographer {{given name Japanese masculine given names ...

*Chiba Prefecture: Taketo Tomonō *Ehime Prefecture:

Haruki Shiraishi Haruki is both a masculine/neutral Japanese given name and a Japanese surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese-born theatre performer *, Japanese footballer *, Nippon Professional Baseball pla ...

*Fukui Prefecture: Heidayū Nakagawa *Fukuoka Prefecture:

Hikaru Kamei is a Japanese unisex given name meaning "light" or "radiance". Possible writings Hikaru can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: * 光, "light" * 輝, "radiance" The name can also be written in hiragana or katakana. It is m ...

*Fukushima Prefecture: Morie Kimura *Gifu Prefecture:

Saburō Hirano is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Saburō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *三郎, "third son" *三朗, "three, bright" The name can also be written in hiragana or katakana. People with the name ...

*Gunma Prefecture: Konroku Kanda *

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 ...

Iduo Nagano was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1962 to 1973. In 1974 was elected as a member of the upper house of the Japanese parliament. References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagano, Iduo 1918 births 1981 deaths People from Hiroshima University o ...

(until 10 November); Hiroshi Miyazawa (starting 16 December) * Hokkaido: Naohiro Dōgakinai *Hyogo Prefecture: Tokitada Sakai * Ibaraki Prefecture: Nirō Iwakami *

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 ...

Yōichi Nakanishi Yōichi Nakanishi ( ja, 中西陽一) (September 23, 1917 – February 2, 1994) was Governor of Ishikawa Prefecture (1963–1994). He was a graduate of Kyoto University and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) The , frequently ab ...

*Iwate Prefecture:

Tadashi Chida Tadashi (Kanji: 正, 禎, 忠, 荘, 匡史 Hiragana: ただし), Japanese masculine name, may refer to : *, the first aikido master to live and teach in the west *, Japanese manga story writer, novelist and screenwriter *, Japanese basketball coach ...

*Kagawa Prefecture: Masanori Kaneko *Kagoshima Prefecture: Saburō Kanemaru * Kanagawa Prefecture: Bunwa Tsuda *Kochi Prefecture: Masumi Mizobuchi * Kumamoto Prefecture: Issei Sawada * Kyoto Prefecture: Torazō Ninagawa *Mie Prefecture:

Ryōzō Tagawa Ryōzō, Ryozo or Ryouzou (written: 良三 or 亮三) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, the 5th President of the Japanese Olympic Committee *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese lawyer and diplomat *, Japanese ...

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 ...

Sōichirō Yamamoto is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for writing and illustrating ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'', ''In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki'', and '' When Will Ayumu Make His Move?''. Personal life Yamamoto was born and raised in the town of Tonosh� ...

*Miyazaki Prefecture:

Hiroshi Kuroki was a governor of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan. He was the 1974 recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President R ...

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 ...

Gon'ichirō Nishizawa was a Japanese politician and essayist. He was born in Nagano Prefecture. He was a graduate of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. He was governor of Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu reg ...

*Nagasaki Prefecture:

Kan'ichi Kubo Kan'ichi or Kanichi (written: , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese historian *, Japanese politician *, Imperial Japanese Navy officer *, Japanese voice actor and comedian *, Japanese philo ...

*Nara Prefecture: Ryozo Okuda * Niigata Prefecture:

Shiro Watari Shiro, Shirō, Shirow or Shirou may refer to: People * Amakusa Shirō (1621–1638), leader of the Shimabara Rebellion * Ken Shiro (born 1992), Japanese boxer * Shiro Azumi, Japanese football player 1923–1925 * Shiro Ichinoseki (born 1944), ...

*Oita Prefecture: Masaru Taki *

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 ...

Shiro Nagano Shiro, Shirō, Shirow or Shirou may refer to: People * Amakusa Shirō (1621–1638), leader of the Shimabara Rebellion * Ken Shiro (born 1992), Japanese boxer * Shiro Azumi, Japanese football player 1923–1925 * Shiro Ichinoseki (born 1944), ...

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

Chōbyō Yara was a Japanese politician. He served as the Chief Executive of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands (1968–1972) and Governor of Okinawa Prefecture (1972–1976). He graduated from Hiroshima Higher Normal School (now Hiroshima University). Bio ...

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 ...

Ryōichi Kuroda was a Japanese jurist and politician from Suita, Osaka. Early life and academic career After graduating from Tohoku Imperial University in 1933, Kuroda was sent to Manchukuo to be an instructor at a service academy. He spent five years in a ...

* Saga Prefecture:

Sunao Ikeda Sunao (written: 直, 淳, 愿, 順, 須直, 直男 or すなお in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese anime director * ...

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 ...

: Yawara Hata * Shiga Prefecture: Kinichiro Nozaki *Shiname Prefecture: Seiji Tsunematsu *Shizuoka Prefecture: Yūtarō Takeyama *Tochigi Prefecture: Nobuo Yokokawa *Tokushima Prefecture:

Yasunobu Takeichi Yasunobu is a masculine Japanese given name. Kanji and meaning The name Yasunobu is composed of two elements ''yasu'' and ''nobu'', each of which could be written with a variety of kanji, for example: *yasu: ("great" or "exalted"), ("abundant") ...

* Tokyo: Ryōkichi Minobe *Tottori Prefecture:

Jirō Ishiba is a stand-alone Japanese given name along with " Tarō", and a common name suffix for males. Possible writings Jirō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: * 次郎, "next, son" * 次朗, "next, melodious" * 二郎, "s ...

(until 22 February); Kōzō Hirabayashi (starting 27 March) *Toyama Prefecture: Kokichi Nakada *Wakayama Prefecture: Masao Ohashi *Yamagata Prefecture: Tōkichi Abiko (until 27 September);

Seiichirō Itagaki Seiichirō, Seiichiro, Seiichirou or Seiichiroh (written: 誠一郎, 清一朗 or 征一郎) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese tennis player *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japan ...

(starting 17 October) *Yamaguchi Prefecture:

Masayuki Hashimoto Masayuki (written: , ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese animator and director *, Japanese actor *, Japanese baseball player and manager *, Japanese politician *, ...

*Yamanashi Prefecture: Kunio Tanabe

Events

*January 1 – Health care for those over 70 years of age is made free of charge *March 8 – According to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency official confirmed report, Yawata General Hospital fire in

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuku ...

, Fukuoka Prefecture, total 13 patients were fatalities. *March 19 – Konami is established. *July 23 – Nidec was founded, as predecessor name was Nippon Densan (Electric Industry) Corporation. *August 17 – Miyama Real Estate, as predecessor of Leopalace founded in

Nakano, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Nakano City.retailer CGC Group founded. *November 29 – Fire breaks out in Taiyo department store in Kumamoto City, killing over a hundred.

Births

*January 2 –

Michiyo Nakajima is a Japanese actress, voice actress and former pop singer. Nakajima made her debut on 30 January 1991. Her final JPOP release was on 10 June 1998. She sang the ending theme for the animated (anime) version of ''Ranma ½'', Season 5 (1991) - "Red ...

, actress, voice actress and former pop singer. *January 11 –

Eri Fukatsu is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 18th Yokohama Film Festival for '' Haru'' and the best actress award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival for her performance in ''Villain''. She also received acclaim for her r ...

, actress *January 16 –

Maki Miyamae is a Japanese pop singer, and the oldest member of the group Coco. She was born in Tōkamachi, Niigata, but grew up in Tokyo. Miyamae was a member of Coco from September 1989 until the group's dissolution in 1994. She worked as a solo singer ...

, pop singer *January 18 –

Shinobu Nakayama is an actress and a former J-pop singer. The younger sister of singer and actress Miho Nakayama, she released her first single on 2 November 1988; her final release as a J-pop artist was on 1 March 1991. Nakayama was also a member of the short-l ...

, singer and former pop singer *January 31 – Shingo Katayama, golfer *February 1 –

Makiko Ohmoto is a freelance Japanese voice actress from Kurashiki, Okayama. She is best known for voicing Kirby in the eponymous game series and for voicing Ness from the ''EarthBound'' series in '' Super Smash Bros.''. Personal life On March 15, 2020, s ...

, voice actress *February 7 – Mie Sonozaki, voice actress *February 9 –

Yoshitomo Tani Yoshitomo Tani (谷佳知, born February 9, 1973) is a former Japanese professional baseball player from Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan. He played as an outfielder for the Orix Buffaloes and Yomiuri Giants. He holds the Pacific League record for hi ...

, former professional baseball player *February 11 – Haruhi Terada, voice actress *February 28 –

Masato Tanaka is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ext ...

, professional wrestler *March 6 – Rumi Ochiai, voice actress *March 7 – Eiji Takemoto, voice actor *March 24 – Sakura Tange, voice actress and singer *March 27 – Sayaka Aoki, comedian *April 6 – Rie Miyazawa, actress and singer *April 21 – Katsuyuki Konishi, voice actor *May 8 – Hiromu Arakawa, manga artist *May 16 – Kōsuke Toriumi, voice actor *May 18 – Kaz Hayashi, professional wrestler *May 29 – Tomoko Kaneda, voice actress and J-pop singer *June 12 – Mitsuki Saiga, voice actress *June 18 –

Yumi Kakazu , better known by the Kana form of her name , is a Japanese voice actress from Kamifukuoka, Saitama (now Fujimino, Saitama). Filmography Anime television series * ''After War Gundam X'' (Sala Tyrell) (voice acting debut) * ''AKB0048'' (Katagiri ...

, voice actress *June 19 – Yuko Nakazawa, singer *June 29 –

Kento Masuda is a Japanese composer and recording artist. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy, and his work has been described as "one of this world's artistic treasures." As an exclusive player for KAWAI pianos, Masuda is the sole player of the on ...

, composer and recording artist *June 30 –

Hidetada Yamagishi (born 30 June 1973) is a Japanese IFBB professional bodybuilder. In 2007 he became the first Japanese bodybuilder to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest and was the first Japanese bodybuilder to have been invited to compete at the Arnold Classic ...

, bodybuilder *July 2 – Makoto Kosaka, former professional baseball player *July 4 –

Gackt , better known by his mononymous stage name Gackt (stylized as GACKT), is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Born in Okinawa, Japan, to a Ryukyuan family, Gackt learned the piano at a young age and was raise ...

, singer-songwriter and actor *July 7 – Natsuki Takaya, manga artist *July 16 –

Yoshihiko Hakamada is a Japanese actor. He graduated from Hamana High School. Hakamada was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. He is represented by Platinum Production. Hakamada's wife is ''tarento'' Ai Kawanaka. Discography Singles Albums Filmography ...

, actor *July 17 ** Takeshi Kaneshiro, Taiwanese/Japanese actor **

Daimaou Kosaka , better known by his stage names and , is a Japanese comedian, television personality and entertainer. Kosaka insists that Pikotaro is another personality promoted by him, but they are considered the same person. He is currently signed with Av ...

, comedian *August 13 – Ryōko Shinohara, actress *August 31 –

Kaori Mizumori (born 31 August 1973, Kita, Tokyo) is a Japanese enka singer with Tokuma Japan Communications is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’ ...

, enka singer *September 1 – Rieko Miura, actress and singer *September 9 –

Kazuhisa Ishii Kazuhisa Ishii (石井一久 ''Ishii Kazuhisa'') (born September 9, 1973) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher and current manager and general manager for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He pl ...

, baseball player *September 18 – Ami Onuki, singer *October 11 – Daisuke Sakaguchi, voice actor *October 13 – Nanako Matsushima, actress and model *October 14 – Masato Sakai, actor *October 20 –

Tomoka Shibasaki is a Japanese writer from Osaka. She has won the Noma Literary New Face Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, and two of her works have been adapted for film. Career Shibasaki was born in Osaka. She graduated from Osaka Prefecture University and he ...

, writer *October 22 –

Ichiro Suzuki , also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...

, baseball player *October 26 – Taka Michinoku, professional wrestler *November 6 –

Rumi Shishido is a Japanese singer and voice actress from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Shishido debuted as an idol singer with Sony Records in 1990 with the single "Cosmic Rendezvous." In 1992, she left her management and began releasing music independently. ...

, voice actress and singer *December 11 –

Yūko Obuchi is a Japanese politician. She is a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party. She briefly served as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry during the Abe government, but was forced to resign. She is the second dau ...

, politician and cabinet minister *December 19 – Takashi Sorimachi, actor and singer *December 25 –

Daisuke Miura is a Japanese former professional baseball player from Kashihara, Nara, Japan. He was a starting pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars from 1992 through 2016. Playing career Yokohama DeNa BayStars Miura was drafted 6th in the 1991 Nippon ...

, professional baseball coach and former pitcher

Deaths

*April 25 –

Tanzan Ishibashi was a Japanese journalist, Nichiren Buddhist priest, and politician who was Prime Minister of Japan for two months from 1956 to 1957, before resigning due to illness. He simultaneously served as Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. Fr ...

, journalist and politician (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 ...

) *May 2 –

Akiko Seki Akiko Seki ( ja, 関鑑子) (September 8, 1899 in Tokyo – May 2, 1973 in Tokyo) was a Japanese soprano. She is commonly recognized as the founder of the movement of The Singing Voice of Japan ( ja, 日本のうたごえ, ''Nihon no Utagoe'' / ...

, soprano (b.

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

) *September 15 – Saburō Matsukata, journalist, businessman and mountaineer (b.

) *September 18 – Ken Harada, first Japanese

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

to the Holy See (b.

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

) *October 7 – Masayuki Mori, actor (b.

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

) *November 7 – Kiyohide Shima, admiral (b.

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

) *November 23 – Sesue Hayakawa, actor (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 ...

)

References

{{Asia topic, 1973 in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...