The following is an overview of the year

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

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 ...

Incumbents

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), ...

Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. Bo ...

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 ...

: Shinzō Abe

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 ...

Hideaki Omura Hideaki (ひであき) is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Hideaki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *秀秋, "excellent", "autumn" *英秋, "outstanding", "autumn" *秀明, "excellent", "bright" ...

*Akita Prefecture:

Norihisa Satake is a Japanese politician. A former two-term mayor of Akita City in Akita Prefecture, first elected in 2001, he is currently the Governor of Akita Prefecture after winning election on April 12, 2009. He is the 21st head of the North Satake branc ...

*Aomori Prefecture:

Shingo Mimura is a Japanese Politician who is currently serving as Governor of Aomori Prefecture since June 29, 2003. He previously served as a member of House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries ...

*Chiba Prefecture:

Kensaku Morita is a Japanese politician, actor and singer. He was elected as the Governor of Chiba Prefecture in March 2009 to April 2021『』からリンクする知事選挙「開票結果」（Excelファイル）千葉県選挙管理委員会による知� ...

*Ehime Prefecture:

Tokihiro Nakamura is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Ehime Prefecture, located in the Shikoku region of Japan. He succeeded Moriyuki Kato in the 2010 Ehime gubernatorial election. Nakamura has previously served as the mayor of Matsuyama, the larg ...

*Fukui Prefecture:

Issei Nishikawa is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Fukui Prefecture in Japan. He was elected first in 2003. A native of Asahi, Fukui and graduate of Kyoto University with the B.L. degree in 1968, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs An inter ...

*Fukuoka Prefecture: Hiroshi Ogawa *Fukushima Prefecture:

Masao Uchibori is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. He previously served as the vice-governor of his predecessor Yūhei Satō is a former governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. He was first elected in Nov ...

*Gifu Prefecture: Hajime Furuta *Gunma Prefecture:

Masaaki Osawa Masaaki (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese poet *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese singer-songwriter * ...

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 ...

Hidehiko Yuzaki is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. Early life and education Yuzaki was born October 4, 1965 in Saeki-ku, Hiroshima. He received his B.L. degree from the University of Tokyo in 1990 and his M.B. ...

Hokkaido 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 ...

: Harumi Takahashi *Hyogo Prefecture:

Toshizō Ido is a Japanese politician and the 48th - 52nd governor of Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan. He became the Governor of Hyōgo Profecture in 2001, a position he held for 5 terms over 20 years. He is a native of Tatsuno, Hyōgo and graduate of the Un ...

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, ...

: Kazuhiko Ōigawa *

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 ...

Masanori Tanimoto is a Japanese politician who was the governor of 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 ...

*Iwate Prefecture: Takuya Tasso *Kagawa Prefecture:

Keizō Hamada is a former Japanese politician and finance bureaucrat and a former governor of Kagawa Prefecture in the Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million ( ...

*Kagoshima Prefecture: Satoshi Mitazono *

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 ...

Yuji Kuroiwa Yuji or Yu Ji may refer to: * Yuji Naka, is a Japanese video game programmer, designer and producer * Yu Ji (painter), a Qing dynasty painter and calligrapher * Yūji, a common masculine Japanese given name * Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife) (虞姬; ...

*Kochi Prefecture: Masanao Ozaki *

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 ...

Ikuo Kabashima is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Kumamoto Prefecture. He has been governor since 2008. Ikuo Kabashima received a bachelor's and master's degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska. He ...

* Kyoto Prefecture:

Keiji Yamada is a Japanese politician and former Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. A native of Hyōgo Prefecture and 1977 graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1977 and served as the vice governor of Kyoto Prefec ...

(until 16 April);

Takatoshi Nishiwaki is a Japanese politician and the current Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. Governor of Kyoto Nishiwaki won the 2018 gubernatorial election, defeating his sole opponent Kazuhito Fukuyama, with 55.90% of the vote. In the race, Nishiwaki was backed ...

(starting 16 April) *Mie Prefecture:

Eikei Suzuki is a Japanese politician and the former governor of Mie Prefecture located in Kansai region of Japan.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 ...

Yoshihiro Murai is a Japanese politician and current governor of Miyagi Prefecture. A native of Toyonaka, Osaka and former serviceman of Japan Self-Defense Forces, he was first elected governor in 2005 after serving in the assembly of the prefecture since 1995. ...

*Miyazaki Prefecture:

Shunji Kōno (born September 8, 1964) is a Japanese politician and the governor of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan. In 2014, he was re-elected for a second term as the Miyazaki governor.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 ...

Shuichi Abe is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nagano Prefecture, assuming office in 2010. In 2014, he was re-elected for another four-year term as the governor of the prefecture.Hōdō Nakamura is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Nagasaki Prefecture located in the Kyushu region of Japan. He was re-elected for another four-year term as governor in both 2014 and 2018. Nakamura ran for a fourth term in 2022, but lost the elec ...

*Nara Prefecture:

Shōgo Arai is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nara Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Transport, attending Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Syracuse ...

* Niigata Prefecture: ** until 27 April:

Ryūichi Yoneyama is a Japanese people, Japanese politician and a former Governor of Niigata Prefecture. Prior to entering politics, Yoneyama worked as a radiology researcher at the University of Tokyo, University of Tokyo Hospital and was also trained as a lawyer ...

** 27 April-12 June: Morio Takai ** starting 12 June:

Hideyo Hanazumi is a Japanese people, Japanese politician serving as the List of prefectural governors in Japan, Governor of Niigata Prefecture, following his election 2018 Niigata gubernatorial election, in June 2018. Prior to his election, Hanazumi served a ...

*Oita Prefecture:

Katsusada Hirose is the governor of Ōita Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Hita, Ōita and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry The was a ministry of the Government of ...

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 ...

Ryuta Ibaragi is a Japanese politician, businessman and the governor of 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 ...

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 ...

: ** until 9 August:

Takeshi Onaga (2 October 1950 – 8 August 2018) was a Japanese politician and the seventh Governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 2014 to 2018. Onaga served as a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly from 1992 to 1996 and four terms as mayor of Naha, the ...

** 9 August-12 August:

Kiichiro Jahana is a Japanese politician. He is the vice governor of Okinawa Prefecture and took over the governorship for a few days. See also * Takeshi Onaga * Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Over the last five decades there have been v ...

** 12 August-3 October: Moritake Tomikawa ** starting 4 October:

Denny Tamaki is a Japanese politician and the current Governor of Okinawa Prefecture since August 2018. Tamaki was a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly for Okinawa City from 2002 to 2005 and became the first Amerasian member of the Japanese Hou ...

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 ...

: Ichirō Matsui *

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 ...

Yoshinori Yamaguchi is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Saga Prefecture located in Kyushu region of Japan. On August 12, 2019. the special ''Natsu no Saga'', a documentary on the ''Zombie Land Saga is an anime television series produc ...

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 ...

: Kiyoshi Ueda * Shiga Prefecture:

Taizō Mikazuki is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Shiga Prefecture, having been elected to the position in July 2014. He previously served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party ...

*Shiname Prefecture: Zenbe Mizoguchi *Shizuoka Prefecture:

Heita Kawakatsu has been the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture since 2009 and is currently serving his fourth term. He completed his D.Phil at wolfson college, Oxford, under Professor Peter Mathias and was Professor of Economics History at Waseda University, Tokyo ...

*Tochigi Prefecture: Tomikazu Fukuda *Tokushima Prefecture:

Kamon Iizumi is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Tokushima Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Ikeda, Osaka and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (so ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

Yuriko Koike is a Japanese politician who currently serves as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016. She graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1976 and was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from 1993 until 2016, when she resigned to ...

*Tottori Prefecture:

Shinji Hirai is a Japanese politician, the governor of Tottori Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with the B.L. degree in 1984 and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes calle ...

*Toyama Prefecture:

Takakazu Ishii is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Toyama Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Toyama, Toyama and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked in the Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometim ...

*Wakayama Prefecture:

Yoshinobu Nisaka is a former governor of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan. He was first elected in 2006 and served for four terms until 2022. Education Nisaka graduated with a B.A. in economics from the University of Tokyo in 1974 and entered MITI that same year. ...

*Yamagata Prefecture:

Mieko Yoshimura is governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She was elected on January 25, 2009. She defeated the sitting governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Hiroshi Saitō in an upset. A native of Ōe, Yamagata, she worked at a help-wanted advertising company bef ...

*Yamaguchi Prefecture:

Tsugumasa Muraoka is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a ...

*Yamanashi Prefecture:

Hitoshi Gotō is a Japanese people, Japanese politician and former Governor (Japan), governor of Yamanashi Prefecture. He was formerly a Democratic Party (Japan, 1998), Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives ...

Events

January

* 22 to 23 January : A heavy snowfall hits around

Tokyo Metropolitan Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...

. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan in a confirmed report, 956 people were injured. * 23 January :

Mount Kusatsu-Shirane is a active stratovolcano in Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan. It is called Kusatsu Shirane to differentiate it from the Mount Nikkō-Shirane on the other side of Gunma Prefecture. The summit of Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, located immediately north of Asa ...

erupts. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan in a confirmed report, 1 fatality results and 11 people are injured in

Gunma Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima ...

. * 31 January : A fire burns an elderly support facility in

Higashi-ku, Sapporo is one of the 10 wards in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is directly translated as "east ward", and is neighboured to Kita-ku, Chūō-ku, Shiroishi-ku, Ebetsu, Tōbetsu. Overview According to the 2008 registry of residential addresses, ...

. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan in a confirmed report, 11 people died, with three injured.

February

* 5 to 8 February : A heavy snowfall hits the Sea of Japan. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan in a confirmed report, 22 people died, with 320 injures.

March

* 1 to 12 March : According to the

Japan Meteorological Agency The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...

in a confirmed report, a volcano erupts in

Shinmoedake Shinmoedake ( ja, 新燃岳) is a volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan, and a part of the Mount Kirishima cluster of volcanoes. It is believed to have formed between 7,300 and 25,000 years ago. Eruptions from Shinmoedake have been r ...

Kyushu Island is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. * 12 March : According to the

Japanese Government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, c ...

, an official confirmed that the Japan Ministry of Finance rewrote 14 decision documents in accordance with the response about a cooperative school in

to the National Assembly in 2017. * 13 March : According to the Japan Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, an official report confirmed the Kumano cherry tree (''Kumanozakura'') as a new species Cherry tree (Sakura). The tree was discovered widely throughout the

Kii peninsula The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province. Overview The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are amongst ...

. The last new type of Sakura tree found in Japan was in 1915.

April

* 8 April : According to National Police Agency of Japan official confirmed report, a thirty-eight years old men arrested on suspicion of five local residents murdered, and suspects confessed in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture. * 9 April : A Richer Scale 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit in Oda, Shimane Prefecture, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan in a confirmed report, nine person were injures. * 11 April : According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan in a confirmed report, a sudden landslide occurred on a mountain slope in

Yabakei The gorge of is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty spanning the municipalities of Kusu and Nakatsu in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Located within Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Park, it was selected as one of the 100 Landscapes of ...

, Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture, where six person fatalities in the incident. * 19 April : According to a Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed report, Mount Iou erupted for the first time since 1768 in border between

Miyazaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,073,054 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,735 km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefecture borders Ōita Prefecture to the north, Kuma ...

and

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

May

June

* 9 June - According to the Japan National Police Agency in a confirmed report, 22-year-old unemployed Ichiro Kojima was detained by police after stabbing 3 passengers, killing one, on a bullet train leading from

to Shin-Osaka, nearby Odawara,

. * 18 June -

2018 Osaka earthquake On 18 June 2018, around 7:58 a.m. Japan Standard Time, an earthquake measuring 5.6 Mw on the moment magnitude scale (preliminary 5.5 Mw) struck in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake's epicenter was near Takatsuki and occurred a ...

, According to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency in a confirmed report, a 5.5 Richter scale earthquake killed four and injured 434 people in Takatsuki,

. * 26 June - According to Japan National Police Agency confirmed report, a man murdered the police officer in policebox, depriving the handgun and escaping, after a man killed to a security guard man near a nearby elementary school in

Toyama City Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

. A twenty-two years old detained, after critical condition by with attempted suicide. * 29 June - According to

confirmed report, a F2 level

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

hit in around area of Maibara, Shiga Prefecture. According to local government official confirmed, many houses were collapsed and damaged, total eight person were wounded.

July

*28 June – 9 July:

2018 Japan floods In late June through mid-July 2018, successive heavy downpours in southwestern Japan resulted in widespread, devastating floods and mudflows. The event is officially referred to as by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As of 20 July, 225&n ...

- Heavy floods was started in western areas of Japan, most in the Hiroshima Prefecture, which has been hit by torrential rain. As of 20 July, 225 people were killed, another 13 were declared missing and 1.5 million people were displaced. * 9 July – 26 August: The

2018 Northeast Asia heat wave Throughout much of July 2018, a record-breaking heat wave affected large areas of Northeast Asia including Japan, North Korea, South Korea and China. Many areas in Japan experienced temperatures in excess of , and Kumagaya recorded a maximum tem ...

kills least 116 people, due to heat-related causes, and at least 22,000 more suffer from heat strokes * 26 July: A fire at under constructing technology centre fire in Tama City, Tokyo. According to Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, total five workers fatalities with 42 were injures.

August

* 9 August: According to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism official confirmed report, nine people lost their lives when a

Bell 412EP The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. Design and development Development began in the ...

helicopter crashed into forest site, Nakanojo, Gunma Prefecture.

September

*4 September:

Typhoon Jebi Typhoon Jebi, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Maymay, was the costliest typhoon in Japan's history in terms of insured losses. Jebi formed from a tropical disturbance south-southwest of Wake Island on August 26 and became the twenty-fi ...

. Storm surge in Osaka Bay inundated

Kansai International Airport Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and K ...

and pushed a tanker vessel into the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

that connects the artificial island to the mainland, damaging it. According to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency official report, strong wind and damage around

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

area resulted in thirteen fatalities and 912 people receiving injuries. *6 September:

2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the moment magnitude scale struck Iburi Subprefecture in southern Hokkaido, Japan, on 6 September 2018 at 3:08 a.m. JST. The earthquake's epicenter was near Tomakomai and occurred at a depth of . The Japan M ...

, A Richter scale 6.6 earthquake created a region-wide power outage, because of damage to a

thermal power station A thermal power station is a type of power station in which heat energy is converted to electrical energy. In a steam-generating cycle heat is used to boil water in a large pressure vessel to produce high-pressure steam, which drives a stea ...

in the hard-hit town, Atsuma. According to a Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency official report, 41 people were killed and 692 people were wounded. *16 September: Namie Amuro, a famous pop singer, officially retired after 25 years in the entertainment industry. *20 September: Prime Minister Shinzō Abe won the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership for a new 3-year term.

October

November

* 19 November - According to Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Prosecutors Department official confirmed report, Carlos Ghosn,

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Nissan Motor , trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun brands, ...

, was arrested by the prosecutor special authority for alleged false statement of the securities report that he declared the compensation inexorably. Ghosn president position and position of representative director of Nissan, succeeded at the Board of Directors on 22 November. * 23 November -

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. ...

decide on the venue on

Expo 2025 is an upcoming World Expo organised and sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which will be held in Osaka, Japan. It will take place for six months during 2025, opening 13 April 2025 and closing 13 October 2025. This wil ...

the winner at BIE's 164th General Assembly. * 26 November - According to Japan National Police Agency confirmed report, six person were murdered, with a suspicion suicide onto Gokase River, in

Takachiho is a town in Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2019, the town has an estimated population of 11,959 and a density of 50.3 persons per km². The total area is 237.54 km². Geography Takachiho is in the northe ...

December

* 26 December - Japan announced that since the International Whaling Commission IWC failed its duty to promote sustainable hunting, which is one of its stated goals, Japan is withdrawing its membership and will resume commercial hunting in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone from July 2019, but will cease whaling activities in the Antarctic Ocean. * 27 December - Japan executes two more prisoners, bringing 2018 executions to 15 taking annual total to highest since 2008.

The Nobel Prize

* Tasuku Honjo: 2018

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

winner.

Arts and entertainment

2018 in anime Events in 2018 in anime. The final full year of the Heisei era. Releases Films A list of anime that debuted in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2018. Television series A list of anime television series that debuted between January ...

2018 in Japanese music The year 2018 in Japanese music. Number ones * Oricon number-one albums * Oricon number-one singles * Hot 100 number-one singles Awards *60th Japan Record Awards * 2018 MTV Video Music Awards Japan Albums released January February March ...

2018 in Japanese television Events in 2018 in Japanese television. Events Ongoing New shows and returning series Ending Sports Special events and milestone episodes Deaths See also * 2018 in anime * 2018 in Japan * 2018 in Japanese music * List of Japanese fil ...

* List of 2018 box office number-one films in Japan *

List of Japanese films of 2018 A list of Cinema of Japan, Japanese films that were first released in 2018. Highest-grossing films The following is a list of the top 10 List of highest-grossing films in Japan, highest-grossing Japanese films released at the Japanese box offic ...

Sports

* October 7 –

2018 Formula One World Championship The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 69th running of the Formula One World Championship. Formula One is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the F� ...

is held at

2018 Japanese Grand Prix The 2018 Japanese Grand Prix (formally known as the Formula 1 2018 Honda Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One racing event held on 7 October 2018 at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka in the Mie Prefecture, Japan. The race was ...

* October 14 –

2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship The 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship was the seventh season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series co-organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). T ...

is held at

2018 6 Hours of Fuji The 2018 6 Hours of Fuji was an endurance sports car racing event held at the Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Japan on the 12–14 October 2018. Fuji served as the fourth round of the 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship, and was the seventh ru ...

* October 21 –

2018 MotoGP World Championship The 2018 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 70th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Marc Márquez entered the season as the reigning champion, with Repsol Honda being the reigning team champions and Honda th ...

is held at

2018 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix The 2018 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the sixteenth round of the 2018 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 2018 MotoGP season. It was held at the Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi, Motegi on 21 October 2018. Marc Márquez clinched his thir ...

2018 F4 Japanese Championship The 2018 F4 Japanese Championship season was the fourth season of the F4 Japanese Championship. It began on 7 April in Okayama and finished on 11 November on Twin Ring Motegi after seven double header rounds. Teams and drivers All teams and drive ...

2018 Japanese Formula 3 Championship The Japanese Formula 3 Championship was the 40th Japanese Formula 3 Championship season. Teams and drivers Race calendar Calendar for the 2018 season. All races are scheduled to be held in Japan. Race 9 at Okayama International Circuit was po ...

2018 Super Formula Championship The 2018 Japanese Super Formula Championship was the forty-sixth season of premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing, and the sixth under the moniker of Super Formula. The season began on 22 April and is scheduled to end on 28 October at the same ...

2018 Super GT Series The 2018 Autobacs Super GT Series was the twenty-sixth season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship including the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era and the fourteenth season the series has competed under the ...

2018 in Japanese football The 2018 season was the 90th season of competitive association football in Japan. Promotion and relegation Teams relegated from J1 League * Ventforet Kofu * Albirex Niigata * Omiya Ardija Teams promoted to J1 League * Shonan Bellmare * V-Varen ...

2018 J1 League The 2018 J1 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1993. Kawasaki Frontale were the defending champi ...

2018 J2 League The 2018 Meiji Yasuda J2 League (2018 明治安田生命J2リーグ) season was the 47th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 20th season since the establishment of J2 League. Clubs The participating clubs are listed in the f ...

2018 J3 League The 2018 J3 League (referred to as the 2018 Meiji Yasuda J3 League (2018 明治安田生命J3リーグ) for sponsorship reasons) was the 5th season of J3 League under its current name. Clubs 2017 J3 League 2nd placed Tochigi SC gained promotion ...

2018 Japan Football League The was the fifth season of the nationwide fourth tier of Japanese football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the for ...

2018 Japanese Regional Leagues The 2018 Japanese Regional Leagues were a competition between parallel association football leagues ranking at the bottom of the Japan Football League. Statistics of Japanese Regional Leagues in the 2018 season. Champions list League standings H ...

2018 Japanese Super Cup The 2018 Xerox Super Cup was held on 10 February 2018 between the 2017 J1 League champions Kawasaki Frontale and the 2017 Emperor's Cup winner Cerezo Osaka. Cerezo won the title after winning 3–2. Match details See also *2017 J1 League T ...

2018 Emperor's Cup The was the 2018 edition of the annual Japanese national football cup tournament, which began on 26 May 2018 and ended with the final on 9 December 2018 at the Saitama Stadium 2002. The final was held earlier than the usual date of 1 January due ...

2018 J.League Cup The 2018 J.League Cup (2018 Jリーグカップ), or officially the 2018 J.League YBC Levain Cup (2018 JリーグYBCルヴァンカップ), is the 43rd edition of the Japanese Association football, football league cup tournament and the 26th editio ...

Deaths

January

* January 1 – Katsuhikari Toshio, sumo wrestler (b. 1942) * January 4 – Senichi Hoshino, baseball player and manager (b. 1947) * January 5 – Mikio Fujioka, guitarist (b. 1981) * January 7 –

Marley Carib , also known as and Marginal (in ''Astral Project''), was a Japanese manga writer. In 1986 he completed his first major works in collaboration with Akyo Makata in ''Ahomansu'' and ''Meisouou Boodaa''. Afterwards, Tsuchiya collaborated with dra ...

, manga artist (b. 1947) * January 11 –

Sumiko Iwao was a Japanese psychologist, educator, editor and professor emeritus at Keio University in Tokyo. She served as the editor-in-chief of ''Japan Echo'', an English-language magazine and predecessor of Nippon.com, from 1997 until 2007, as well as a m ...

, psychologist and educator (b. 1935) * January 14 –

Yosuke Natsuki was a Japanese actor. He had participated twice in the Dakar Rally as a racing driver. He did a lot of work for the Toho Company and made his debut in the film ''The H-Man''. He appeared in Akira Kurosawa's ''Yojimbo'' in 1961. In the same year ...

, actor (b. 1936) * January 18 – Yasuo Tanaka, astrophysicist (b. 1931) * January 20 –

Miyako Sumiyoshi was a Japanese speed skater. She competed at the 2013 World Sprint Championships in Salt Lake City, where she placed thirteenth. She also placed thirteenth in the sprint combination at the 2014 World Sprint Championships in Nagano. She compet ...

, speed skater (b. 1987) * January 21 – Tsukasa Hosaka, football player and manager (b. 1937) * January 26 **

Hiromu Nonaka was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. Nonaka served as a local politician in Kyoto Prefecture from 1951 to 1978 and in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2003, becoming one of its most prominent members in the 1990 ...

, politician (b. 1925) **

Yukiaki Okabe was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He was part of the Japanese teams that set a world record in 1963 and won an Olympic bronze medal in 1964 in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay. In 1964 he also finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay and f ...

, freestyle swimmer (b. 1941) * January 27 –

Tadashi Sawashima (19 May 1926 – 27 January 2018) was a Japanese film director and theatre director. He directed films from the 1950s to the 1970s. He died on 27 January 2018 of multiple organ failure at the age of 91. Career Sawashima was born in Kotō, Shiga, ...

, film director (b. 1926) * January 31 ** Tadashi Sasaki, engineer (b. 1915) **

Itokin (3 March 1979—31 January 2018) was a member of the Japanese J-pop group ET-King. Biography Itokin was born in Sanda, Hyōgo. He graduated from Uenodai Junior High School and Arima High School, and attended college. Career In 1999 he became a ...

, musician (b. 1979)

February

* February 4 – Takuya Iwasaki, archaeologist (b. 1929) * February 5 –

Yoshihide Kozai Yoshihide Kozai (1 April 1928 – 5 February 2018) was a Japanese astronomer specialising in celestial mechanics. He is best known for discovering, simultaneously with Michael Lidov, the Kozai mechanism, for which he received the Imperial Pri ...

, astronomer (b. 1928) * February 10 ** Michiko Ishimure, novelist (b. 1927) ** Tamio Kawachi, actor (b. 1938) *18 February –

Eido Tai Shimano was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist roshi. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York; he was forced to resign from that position of 40 years aft ...

, Buddhist monk (b. 1932) * February 20 ** Jiichiro Date, freestyle wrestler (b. 1952). ** Tōta Kaneko, poet (b. 1919) * February 21 –

Ren Osugi , born was a Japanese actor. For his work in ''Cure'', ''Hana-bi'' and other films, Osugi was given the Best Supporting Actor award at the 1999 Yokohama Film Festival. He often worked alongside Takeshi Kitano and Susumu Terajima. In the DVD comme ...

, actor (b. 1951)

March

* March 24 –

Hidetoshi Nagasawa was a Japanese sculptor and architect, who lived and worked in Italy from 1967 until his death in 2018. Nagasawa was born in Tonei, Manchuria. He graduated in architecture in Tokyo in 1963. In 1966 he embarked on a long bicycle trip across Asia ...

, sculptor and architect (b. 1940)

April

* April 5 – Isao Takahata, film director (b. 1935) * April 21 –

Nabi Tajima Japanese supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from Japan who have attained or surpassed the age of 110 years. , the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 263 Japanese supercentenarians, most o ...

, supercentenarian (b. 1900) * April 23 –

Sachio Kinugasa Sachio Kinugasa (:ja:衣笠祥雄, 衣笠祥雄; January 18, 1947 – April 23, 2018) was a Japanese people, Japanese professional baseball third baseman for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball league from 1965 to 1987. ...

, baseball player (b. 1947) * April 27 – Yukiji Asaoka, actress (b. 1935)

May

* May 16 –

Hideki Saijo was a Japanese singer and television celebrity most famous for singing the Japanese version of the Village People's hit song " Y.M.C.A.," called " Young Man." In the 1970s, he was called with Goro Noguchi and Hiromi Go. Although the origina ...

, singer and actor (b. 1955) * May 17 – Yuriko Hoshi, actress (b. 1943) * May 21 –

Nobukazu Kuriki was a Japanese mountaineer and entrepreneur. Early life Kuriki was born in Imakane, Setana District, Hokkaido, Japan. He graduated from Hokkaido Hiyama Kita High School and Sapporo International University's Humanities and Sociology Department ...

, mountaineer (b. 1982)

June

* June 18 – Go Kato, actor (b. 1938)

July

* July 2 –

Katsura Utamaru was a Japanese rakugo comedian best known for hosting the '' Shōten'' comedy show on Nippon TV. He is known as a master of the Japanese comic art of rakugo, in which a single performer or storyteller appears on stage and tells comedic stories ...

, rakugo comedian (b. 1936) * July 6 **

Shoko Asahara , born , was the founder and leader of the Japanese doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo. He was convicted of masterminding the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, and was also involved in several other crimes. Asahara was sentenced ...

, doomsday cult leader (b. 1955). **

Seiichi Endo was an Aum Shinrikyo member who was executed for his participation in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack and a number of other crimes. He was the man who produced the Sarin gas for the attack after leader Shoko Asahara told him to do so. Ea ...

, cult member and criminal (b. 1960). **

Yoshihiro Inoue was a former Aum Shinrikyo leader and terrorist who was executed in Japan in 2018. He was responsible for coordinating the Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995. His holy name was Aananda and his stage in the cult was Master Shogo. Biography Inoue ...

, cult member and criminal (b. 1969). ** Kimishige Ishizaka, immunologist (b. 1925). **

Tomomitsu Niimi was an Aum Shinrikyo member convicted for his participation in the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway and a number of other crimes. He was Aum's "minister of internal affairs". Background Judge Yujiro Nakatani said that his Aum-related crim ...

, cult member and criminal (b. 1964). * July 19 – Shinobu Hashimoto, screenwriter (b. 1918) * July 21 – Ryu Matsumoto, politician (b. 1951).

August

* August 4 – Masahiko Tsugawa, actor (b. 1940) * August 8 –

, politician (b. 1950) * August 10 –

Kin Sugai (28 February 1926 – 10 August 2018) was a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 9th Hochi Film Award for '' The Funeral''. Sugai is famous for her role as Sen Nakamura in the jidaigeki drama Hissatsu series. Sh ...

, actress (b. 1926) * August 13 –

Unshō Ishizuka was a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and theatre director from Katsuyama, Fukui. He was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of his death and was known for providing the voice of both the narrator and Professor Oak on the Japanese a ...

, voice actor (b. 1951) * August 15 – Momoko Sakura, manga artist (b. 1965) * August 25 –

Miyoko Asō was a Japanese actress. She is best known for her role as the first voice of Fune Isono from 1969 to 2015 in the longest-running Japanese anime series ''Sazae-san'', which first aired in 1969. She was the voice of Dr. Pinako Rockbell in both ''F ...

, voice actress (b. 1926) * August 27 –

Aya Koyama , better known by her stage name , was a Japanese female mixed martial artist and a professional wrestler. She started her career as a pro wrestler in 1996 before starting to compete in mixed martial arts from 2001. Aya Koyama died on 27 August 20 ...

, mixed martial artist (b. 1973)

September

* September 15 – Kirin Kiki, actress (b. 1943) * September 18 – Norifumi Yamamoto, mixed martial artist (b. 1977)

October

* October 8 –

Wajima Hiroshi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Nanao, Ishikawa. He was the sport's 54th ''yokozuna'' and remains the only wrestler with a collegiate background to reach its highest rank. Entering professional sumo in 1970, he won a total of 14 ...

, sumo wrestler (b. 1948) * October 11 – Yoshito Sengoku, politician (b. 1946) * October 17 – Kōji Tsujitani, voice actor (b. 1962) * October 19 –

Takanobu Hozumi , better known as , was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Ōhito, Shizuoka (now Izunokuni, Shizuoka) attached to Mausu Promotion. He died of gallbladder cancer at the age of 87. Filmography Live-action Film * '' Baka ga Tank Deyattekuru' ...

, actor (b. 1931) * October 27 –

Kyoko Enami was a Japanese film and television actress. Career Enami was the daughter of the actress Kazuko Enami. She joined the Daiei Film studio in 1959 and made her screen debut in 1960 with ''Ashita kara otona da''. Her first starring role as Noboriry� ...

, actress (b. 1942)

November

* November 6 –

Tetsuo Gotō was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Gifu Prefecture. Gotō died on November 6, 2018, from esophageal cancer. Filmography Television animation *''Master Keaton'' (1998) (Edward Langley (episode 6)) *''Cyborg 009'' (2001) (Sukea) *''Saikan ...

, voice actor (b. 1950) * November 11 –

Hiroyuki Sonoda was a Japanese politician serving in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the House of Representatives for Kumamoto 4th district; following the 2017 general election when Kumamoto lost one seat due to reapportionment, he moved to the ...

, politician (b. 1942) * November 27 – Mahito Tsujimura, voice actor (b. 1930) * November 28 –

Masahiko Katsuya was a Japanese columnist, photographer, and pundit. After failing the entrance exams for the University of Tokyo and the University of Tsukuba, Katsuya entered Waseda University in 1980. He started working for an editor of Bungeishunjū after gr ...

, columnist (b. 1960) * November 29 –

Harue Akagi was a Japanese actress. Filmography Films * '' Akō Rōshi: Ten no Maki, Chi no Maki'' (1956) * '' Magic Boy'' (1959) * ''Bushido, Samurai Saga'' (1963) * ''Karafuto 1945 Summer Hyosetsu no Mon'' (1974) * ''Nichiren'' (1979) * ''Pecoross' Mothe ...

, actress (b. 1924)

December

* December 28 –

Toshiko Fujita was a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and narrator. She was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of her death. Biography Since the age of 8 in 1958, Fujita worked in radio and television as an actress, singer and comedian. In ...

, voice actress (b. 1950)

Elections

National

Prefectural

* March 11: Ishikawa gubernatorial * April 8:

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

gubernatorial * June 10: Niigata gubernatorial * September 30: Okinawa gubernatorial

Major municipal

AKB48 Senbatsu Sousenkyo

*The 53rd single 10th Sekai Senbatsu Sousenkyo was held on Nagoya Stadium, Aichi Prefecture, Japan on June 16, 2018 Final Senbatsu Results: **1. Jurina Matsui (Over-all center girl, SKE48-Team S) **2. Akari Suda ( SKE48) **3. Sakura Miyawaki ( HKT48) **4. Yuka Ogino (

NGT48 NGT48 (read "N.G.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese girl group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NGT48 is named after Niigata City of Niigata Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at the NGT48 Theater which is located in the fourth fl ...

) **5. Nana Okada (

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

/ STU48) **6. Yui Yokoyama (

) **7. Tomu Mutou (

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2018 In Japan

Years of the 21st century in Japan

2010s in Japan