Events in the year 2019 in Japan.

Incumbents

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

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. B ...

(until 30 April),

Naruhito is the current Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession. ...

(since 1 May) *

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 ...

Shinzō Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 202 ...

Governors

* Aichi Prefecture: Hideaki Omura *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 bra ...

*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 from June 2000 to June 2003 from Aomori 2nd ward. He also served as a Mayor of hi ...

*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 int ...

(until 23 April);

Tatsuji Sugimoto is a Japanese politician. He studied at Todai. He has served as governor of Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui Prefecture has a population of 778,943 (1 June 2017) and has a geographic ...

(starting 23 April) *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 is the governor of Gifu Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2005 and reelected in 2009. A native of Gifu, Gifu, he was chosen as the final torchbearer for the National Sports Festival when it was held in Gifu while he was a senior at Gifu Pre ...

*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 * ...

(until 28 July);

Ichita Yamamoto is a Japanese politician who has been the governor of Gunma Prefecture since July 2019. He was a neoconservative member of the House of Councillors in Japan. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served as the Minister of State for Oki ...

(starting 28 July) *

Hiroshima Prefecture is a 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 Prefecture to the ...

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, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

Harumi Takahashi is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). She served as governor of the prefecture of Hokkaido for four terms from 2003 to 2019. She gradu ...

(until 23 April);

Naomichi Suzuki is a Japanese politician who currently serves as Governor of Hokkaidō. He previously served as mayor of Yūbari city for two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2019. He had also served in Regional Sovereignty Strategy Office of Cabinet Office ...

(starting 23 April) *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 Uni ...

Ibaraki Prefecture is a 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, Tochigi Prefectur ...

: 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 Prefectu ...

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 o ...

*Iwate Prefecture:

Takuya Tasso is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Iwate Prefecture. He is a native of Morioka and graduate of the University of Tokyo. Biography Tasso joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988, receiving a master's degree in internatio ...

*Kagawa Prefecture:

Keizō Hamada is a former Japanese politician and finance bureaucrat and a former governor of 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 p ...

*Kagoshima Prefecture:

Satoshi Mitazono is a Japanese politician and journalist who is the former governor of Kagoshima Prefecture. He defeated the incumbent Yūichirō Itō at an election held on 10 July 2016. Early life and education Mitazono was born in Ibusuki, Kagoshima in 1958. ...

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; Y ...

*Kochi Prefecture: Masanao Ozaki (until 7 December);

Seiji Hamada is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Kōchi Prefecture since 2019. References 1963 births Living people Politicians from Kōchi Prefecture University of Tokyo alumni Governors of Kochi Prefecture {{japa ...

(starting 7 December) *

Kumamoto Prefecture is a 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 the northeast, Miyaza ...

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:

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 ...

*Mie Prefecture: Eikei Suzuki *

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 n ...

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 n ...

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 Syracus ...

Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and N ...

: Hideyo Hanazumi *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 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 km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture borders Tottori Prefecture to the nor ...

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 cit ...

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 Ho ...

* Osaka Prefecture: ** until 20 March:

Ichirō Matsui is a Japanese businessman and politician who is the current mayor of Osaka, leader of the Osaka Restoration Association (ORA) and one of the presidents of Nippon Ishin no Kai alongside Nobuyuki Baba. Early life Matsui attended public elementary ...

** 20 March-8 April:

Hiroyuki Takeuchi is a common masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Hiroki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: extensive, good fortune, spacious. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . It is written in h ...

** starting 8 April:

Hirofumi Yoshimura is a Japanese politician currently serving as the Governor of Osaka Prefecture. He assumed office in April 2019. He has been described as a conservative. Early life Yoshimura was born in the Osaka suburb of Kawachinagano. He studied law at Ky ...

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 Nagasa ...

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 produce ...

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 Prefectur ...

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 ...

(until 31 August); Motohiro Ōno (starting 31 August) *

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 north ...

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 is a Japanese politician and former governor of Shimane Prefecture 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 th ...

(until 30 April);

Tatsuya Maruyama is a Japanese politician and current governor of Shimane Prefecture. Political career He ran for office as an independent during the Shimane gubernatorial election in 2019, winning 43.58% of the vote. In February 2020, he criticized South ...

(starting 30 April) *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, Toky ...

*Tochigi Prefecture:

Tomikazu Fukuda is the governor of Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Imaichi, Tochigi and graduate of Nihon University, he had served in the city assembly of Utsunomiya, Tochigi since 1983 and then in the Tochigi Prefectural Assem ...

*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 (s ...

*Tokyo Prefecture:

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 t ...

*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 call ...

*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 be ...

*Yamaguchi Prefecture:

Tsugumasa Muraoka is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture is a 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 geographic area of ...

*Yamanashi Prefecture:

Hitoshi Gotō is a Japanese politician and former governor of Yamanashi Prefecture. He was formerly a Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active ...

(until 17 February);

Kotaro Nagasaki is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Tokyo and graduate of the University of Tokyo he joined the Ministry of Finance in 1991. ...

(starting 17 February)

Events

2019 Japanese imperial transition The 2019 Japanese imperial transition occurred on 30 April 2019 when the then 85-year-old Emperor Akihito of Japan abdicated from the Chrysanthemum Throne after reigning for 30 years, becoming the first Emperor of Japan to do so since 1817. ...

** 1 January: It was announced that the new for the period following

Heisei The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito ...

will be released on April 1st. ** 8 January: Heisei era's 30th anniversary for the

Emperor Shōwa 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 ...

. ** 24 February: Jubilee celebrations at the

National Theatre of Japan The is a complex consisting of three halls in two buildings in Hayabusachō, a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The Japan Arts Council, an Independent Administrative Institution of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technol ...

and the 30th anniversary of the

death and funeral of Hirohito On 7 January 1989, Emperor Shōwa, the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, died in his sleep at 6:33 am JST after suffering from intestinal cancer for some time. He was 87 years old. The late emperor's st ...

. ** 1 April: It was announced that is the new federated era for the future Emperor

, and is expected to be used from May 1st 2019 onwards. ** 1 May:

was abdicated as an emperor, Reiwa era begins towards

federalism Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single po ...

and rise of

reformism Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can e ...

. ** 22 October: The new federal emperor, Naruhito's enthronement ceremony took place, where he was duly enthroned in an ancient-style proclamation ceremony. * 10 January: Four of the Japanese films in competition entered the

69th Berlin International Film Festival The 69th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 7 to 17 February 2019. French actress Juliette Binoche served as the Jury President. Lone Scherfig's drama film '' The Kindness of Strangers'' opened the festival. The Golden Bea ...

: ''

Whistleblower A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...

'' by Katsuo Fukuzawa, '' Snow Flower'' by Kōjirō Hashimoto, ''

Fortuna's Eye is a Japanese novelist and television producer. He is known for his right-wing political views and denying Japanese war crimes prior to and during World War II. He is particularly known for his 2006 novel ''The Eternal Zero'', which became a ...

'' by Takahiro Miki, and '' Samurai Marathon'' by Bernard Rose. * 2 April: Two Japan Self-Defence officers are dispatched to a multinational peacekeeping force in Sinai, Egypt. * 26 May: U.S. President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...

, during an official state visit to Japan, is the first foreign leader to meet with emperor

. * 26 May: According to the official report of the Japan Meteorological Agency, a temperature of was observed in Saroma, Hokkaido, the highest temperature in May in Japan and Hokkaido. The temperature was unseasonably warm, where temperatures of are usually reached. * 28 May: According to an official report by the Japan National Police Agency, a stabbing occurred leaving 2 people dead with 18 injured, ending with the 51 year-old perpetrator committing suicide. The killer attacked bystanders, including elementary school students, waiting for bus near Noborito Station,

Kawasaki Kawasaki ( ja, 川崎, Kawasaki, river peninsula, links=no) may refer to: Places *Kawasaki, Kanagawa, a Japanese city **Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, a ward in Kawasaki, Kanagawa **Kawasaki City Todoroki Arena **Kawasaki Stadium, a multi-sport stadium *K ...

. *1 June: According to a report authored by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, an accident occurred involving 5-car passenger train running in reverse and colliding with a stopped car in

Shin-Sugita Station is an interchange passenger railway station located in Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the Yokohama New Transit Company. Lines Shin-Sugita Station is served by the Neg ...

on the Yokohama Seaside Passenger Line leaving 14 people wounded. * 18 June: 2019 Yamagata earthquake, left 33 people injured. The earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richer Scale hit offshore of

Tsuruoka is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 125,389 in 49,024 households, and a population density of 95.74 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Tsuruoka is the biggest city in Tōhoku region ...

Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

. * 19 June: According to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, a ten car rapid express commuter train derailed in a collision with a car in Odakyu Line,

Atsugi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 223,960 and a population density of 2400 persons per km². The total area of the city is . While the name "Atsugi" is often associated with the United ...

, resulting in three people injured. * 20 June: A textile factory fire occurred in

Eiheiji 250px is one of two main temples of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism, the largest single religious denomination in Japan (by number of temples in a single legal entity). Eihei-ji is located about east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. In E ...

Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui Prefecture has a population of 778,943 (1 June 2017) and has a geographic area of 4,190 km2 (1,617 sq mi). Fukui Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the north, Gif ...

, leaving four people dead, and another four injured. * 1 July: Japan announces tightening of high-tech exports to South Korea, effective on 4 July, thus begin the trade dispute between the two countries. * 18 July:

Kyoto Animation arson attack The occurred at Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 building in the Fushimi ward of Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, on the morning of 18 July 2019. The arson killed people, injured an additional 34 (including the suspect), and destroyed most o ...

Kyoto Animation , often abbreviated , is a Japanese animation studio and light novel publisher located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. Founded in 1985 by Yoko and Hideaki Hatta, it has produced anime works including '' The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'' (2006), ''C ...

's first studio is set ablaze, with 35 people known to be dead. * 21 July:

2019 Japanese House of Councillors election House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on 21 July 2019 to elect 124 of the 245 members of the House of Councillors, the upper house of the then 710-member bicameral National Diet, for a term of six years. 74 members were elected by ...

* 2 August: Japan announces the removal of South Korea from its list of most trusted trading partners, effective on 28 August 2019. *

2019 Pacific typhoon season The 2019 Pacific typhoon season was the costliest Pacific typhoon season on record, just ahead of the previous year. The season featured fairly above-average tropical cyclone activity for the second consecutive year, producing 29 named storms, ...

** 15 August: Typhoon Krosa, total two persons were fatalities, 55 persons were wounded in around western Honshu, according to JFDMA confirmed report. ** 9 September:

Typhoon Faxai Typhoon Faxai, known in Japan as , was the first typhoon to strike the Kantō region since Typhoon Mindulle (2016), Mindulle in 2016, and the strongest typhoon to hit the region since Typhoon Ma-on (2004), Ma-on in 2004. It was also the worst to ...

, according to Japanese Government confirmed report, largely

power outage A power outage (also called a powercut, a power out, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, or a blackout) is the loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user. There are many causes of power failures in an electrici ...

hit in Kanagawa and Chiba Prefecture, 934,000 household affected by transmission line and tower damage in

Kisarazu is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 136,023 in 63,431 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kisarazu is located in the midwes ...

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 n ...

, with three persons (include two of caused by heatstroke) were death, 147 persons were wounded. ** 22 September: Typhoon Tapah, according to JFDMA confirmed report, one person perished, with 68 persons were wounded in nationwide, a

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, alt ...

hit in

Nobeoka is a city located in the north of Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated population of 119,521 and a population density of 138 persons per km². The total area is . History The city was officially founded on F ...

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 ...

. ** 4 October:

Typhoon Hagibis Typhoon Hagibis, known in Japan as Typhoon No.19 or , was a large and costly tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction in Japan. The thirty-eighth depression, ninth typhoon, and third super typhoon of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season, ...

, according to JFDMA confirmed report, 80 persons killed, 7 persons missing, with 447 persons were wounded in nationwide, a

hit in Ichihara,

. * 28 August: According to JFDMA confirmed report,

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing ...

from torrential rain hit in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, resulting in four persons dead. * 5 September: According to MLIT confirmed report, an eight car commuter train collision with trailer truck at

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass An overpass (called ...

Keikyu Line (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo ...

Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 230,401 and a density of 9,650 persons per km2. The total area was 23.88 km2. Geography Kanagawa is located ...

, resulting to a truck driver losing his life, 30 persons were hurt. * 25 October: According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, heavy massive rain 60 to 100 mm per an hour, 160 to 260 mm total 12 hours precipitation, and resulting to debris and flash flood and landslide occurs through

Boso Peninsula Boso may refer to: People *Boso of Provence (850–887), Frankish nobleman and king *Boso the Elder (c. 800–855), a Frank from the Bosonid dynasty *Boso, Margrave of Tuscany (885–936), Italian nobleman *Boso II of Arles (d. 967), Frankish count ...

, and similar hit in

Soma Soma may refer to: Businesses and brands * SOMA (architects), a New York–based firm of architects * Soma (company), a company that designs eco-friendly water filtration systems * SOMA Fabrications, a builder of bicycle frames and other bicycl ...

Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miya ...

. Official death toll is ten, another two persons were missing, according to JFDMA confirmed report. * 31 October: 2019 Shurijo fire, a fire broke down at Shuri Castle, Shuri,

Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...

, later the redevelopment and restoration of building would converted into a new museum after the fire. * 29 November: The oldest living former 1980s prime minister,

Yasuhiro Nakasone was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1982 to 1987. He was a member of the House of Representatives for more than 50 years. He was best known for pushing through the ...

died, aged 101.

The Nobel Prize

Akira Yoshino is a Japanese chemist. He is a fellow of Asahi Kasei Corporation and a professor at Meijo University in Nagoya. He created the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery which became used widely in cellular phones and notebook computers ...

: 2019

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

winner.

Arts and entertainment

2019 in anime Events in 2019 in anime. The first year of the Reiwa era. Releases Films A list of anime that debuted in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2019. Television series A list of anime television series that debuted between January 1 an ...

* 2019 in Japanese music *

2019 in Japanese television Events in 2019 in Japanese television. Events Ongoing New series and returning shows Ending Sports Special events and milestone episodes Deaths References {{Television in Japan ...

* List of 2019 box office number-one films in Japan * List of Japanese films of 2019

Sports

* October 6 –

2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship The 2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship was the eighth 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

2019 6 Hours of Fuji The 2019 6 Hours of Fuji was an endurance sports car race held on the 6th of October 2019, at the Fuji Speedway. It was the 2nd round of the 2019-20 FIA World Endurance Championship. The race was won overall by the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyot ...

* October 13 –

2019 Formula One World Championship The 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars which marked the 70th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the F ...

is held at

2019 Japanese Grand Prix The 2019 Japanese Grand Prix (formally known as the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2019) was a Formula One racing event held on 13 October 2019 at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka in the Mie Prefecture, Japan. The race was the 1 ...

* October 20 –

2019 MotoGP World Championship The 2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 71st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. After fifteen rounds of the championship, Marc Márquez successfully defended his Rider's Championship in Thailand taking h ...

is held at 2019 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix *

2019 F4 Japanese Championship The 2019 F4 Japanese Championship season was the fifth season of the F4 Japanese Championship. It began on 13 April in Okayama and finished on 3 November in Twin Ring Motegi after seven double header rounds. Teams and drivers All teams were Japan ...

2019 Japanese Formula 3 Championship The Japanese Formula 3 Championship is the 41st Japanese Formula 3 Championship season. In August 2019, Japan Race Promotion, the series promoter, surrendered the right to organise a Japanese Formula 3 championship at the end of the season by cho ...

2019 Super Formula Championship The 2019 Japanese Super Formula Championship was the forty-seventh season of premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing, and the seventh under the moniker of Super Formula. The season began on 21 April at Suzuka Circuit and ended on 27 October at ...

2019 Super GT Series The 2019 Super GT Series was a motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). It was the twenty-seventh season of the Japan ...

2019 in Japanese football Japanese football in 2019. Promotion and relegation Teams relegated from J1 League * Kashiwa Reysol * V-Varen Nagasaki Teams promoted to J1 League * Matsumoto Yamaga * Oita Trinita Teams relegated from J2 League * Roasso Kumamoto * Kamatama ...

2019 J1 League The 2019 J1 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th season of the J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs (This league is generally not considered to be one of the top five leagues i ...

2019 J2 League The season is the 48th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 21st season since the establishment of J2 League. Clubs After eight seasons of good success, Kashiwa Reysol had to say goodbye to the first division. The same happe ...

2019 J3 League The 2019 J3 League, referred to as the for sponsorship reasons, is the 6th season of J3 League under its current name. 2019 season Clubs 2018 season saw two teams promoted to J2 League: FC Ryukyu won the championship by nine points over seco ...

2019 Japan Football League The was the sixth season of the nationwide fourth tier of Japanese football, and the 21st season since the establishment of Japan Football League. Starting from this season, the league reverted to a one-stage double round-robin again. 2019 ...

2019 Japanese Regional Leagues Statistics of Japanese Regional Leagues in the 2019 season. Champions list Hokkaido Tohoku Kantō *Vertfee Yaita were relegated to the Tochigi Prefectural League, Waseda United were relegated to the Tokyo Metropolitan Prefectural ...

2019 Japanese Super Cup The 2019 Japanese Super Cup (Fuji Xerox Super Cup 2019) was held on 16 February between the 2018 J1 League champions Kawasaki Frontale and the 2018 Emperor's Cup winner Urawa Red Diamonds. Kawasaki Frontale won the title in regular time. Match de ...

2019 Emperor's Cup Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

2019 J.League Cup 2019 J. League Cup is the 27th J.League Cup, which began on 6 March 2019. The official title is 2019 J.League YBC Levain Cup (2019 JリーグYBCルヴァンカップ) due to the sponsorship of Yamazaki Baking. The winners would have earned the ri ...

Deaths

January

* January 12 –

Etsuko Ichihara was a Japanese actress. She appeared in over 100 films. Biography She graduated from Waseda University School of Letters and Art and Sciences with B.A. degree. Ichihara was a member of the Haiyuza theater troupe from 1957 to 1971. She won an ...

, actress (b. 1936) * January 30 – Shigeichi Nagano, photographer (b. 1925)

February

* February 1 –

Kinryū Arimoto was a Japanese actor and voice actor formerly employed by Production Baobab. He also practiced kenpo, earning the black belt rank of shodan. Though his birth name was Yoshitaka, a kanji mistranslation led to his name being read as Kinryū, whi ...

, voice actor (b. 1940) * February 5 –

Fumiko Hori was a Japanese artist, known for her paintings in the Nihonga style. Biography Hori was born to a scholarly family in Hirakawacho, in Tokyo, Japan, in 1918. In 1940, she graduated from Women's School of Fine Arts (now Joshibi University of ...

Nihonga ''Nihonga'' (, " Japanese-style paintings") are Japanese paintings from about 1900 onwards that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. While based on traditions over a thousand years ...

painter (b. 1918) * February 9 –

Junya Sato was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His son is a fellow film director . Career Born in Tokyo, Satō graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1956 with a degree in French literature. He joined the Toei studio and worked as an assist ...

, film director (b. 1932) * February 10 – Kōji Kitao, sumo wrestler (b. 1963) * February 24 –

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japan ...

, scholar (b. 1922)

March

* March 17 – Yuya Uchida, singer (b. 1939) * March 26 –

Kenichi Hagiwara was a Japanese singer and actor. Music career Also known as Sho-Ken, he was the lead singer of The Tempters, which was a blues-rock band connected to the Group Sounds scene, and gained big hits in the late 1960s. Hagiwara was known for his ...

, actor (b. 1950) * March 28 –

Fuyumi Shiraishi was a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. Career Fuyumi was previously affiliated with Aoni Production and after she left Aoni and joined Ken Production founded by the late Kenji Utsumi until the time of her death. Death Shiraishi di ...

, voice actress (b. 1936)

April

* April 5 –

Wowaka Wowaka (stylized as wowaka, ; 4 November 19875 April 2019), also known as Genjitsutouhi-P (), was a Japanese musician. Considered to be a pioneer in the Vocaloid industry, wowaka was internationally acclaimed for his musical work over a career s ...

, musician (b. 1987) * April 11 –

Monkey Punch , known by the pen name , was a Japanese manga artist, best known for his series ''Lupin III''. Life and career Katō was born in Hamanaka, Hokkaido; he began drawing at a very young age, but did not draw manga until junior high school, when ...

, manga artist (b. 1937) * April 16 –

Kiyoshi Kawakubo was a Japanese voice actor. He was from Yokohama, Japan. Kiyoshi was part of 81 Produce. __TOC__ Notable roles TV drama *''Tokugawa Ieyasu'' (1983) (Torii Mototada) *''Dokuganryū Masamune'' (1987) (Sirakawa Yoshichika) Anime television *''3 ...

, voice actor (b. 1929)

May

* May 12 –

Machiko Kyō was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Early life and education Kyō, an only child, was born in Osaka in 1924. Her father left when she was five years old, and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. She adopted ...

, actress (b. 1924) *20 May –

Yasuo Furuhata was a Japanese film director. He was a director of Toei film company and he often worked with Ken Takakura in such films as '' Eki'' and ''Shin Abashiri Bangaichi''. He won the 2000 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year and 31st Internat ...

, film director (b. 1934)

June

* June 3 –

Atsushi Aoki was a Japanese professional wrestler who worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) as a wrestler, president of talent relations and head trainer at their dojo. Aoki began his career in Pro Wrestling Noah in 2005, where he went on to become a two ...

, Japanese professional wrestler (b. 1977) * June 6 –

Seiko Tanabe was a Japanese author. She graduated from the Department of Japanese Literature of Shōin Joshi Senmon Gakkō (now Osaka Shoin Women's University). Author of numerous novels, she won the Akutagawa Prize, Yomiuri Prize, and Asahi Prize, and rece ...

, author (b. 1928) * June 10 –

Yuzuru Fujimoto was a Japanese voice actor. Filmography Television animation ;1960s *'' Gigantor'' (1963) – Narrator *'' Ōgon Bat'' (1967) – Narrator *''Yōkai Ningen Bem'' (1968) – Narrator ;1970s *'' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972) – A detec ...

, voice actor (b. 1935) * June 12 –

Tsuruko Yamazaki was a Japanese artist, known for her bold artistic experiments with abstract visual styles and non-traditional materials. She was a co-founder and the longest-standing female member of the Gutai Art Association, an avant-garde artists' collecti ...

, artist (b. 1925) * June 26 –

Tadao Takashima (27 July 1930 – 26 June 2019) was a Japanese actor and jazz musician. He appeared in more than 100 films, including the Toho productions '' King Kong vs. Godzilla'', '' Atragon'', and '' Frankenstein vs. Baragon''. He also performed in sta ...

, actor (b. 1930)

July

* July 9 –

Johnny Kitagawa John Hiromu Kitagawa (Japanese name ; October 23, 1931 – July 9, 2019), known professionally as , was an American-born Japanese businessman and talent manager. He was the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for n ...

, businessman (b. 1931) * July 18 –

Yukiya Amano was a Japanese diplomat and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (July 2009 – 2019). Amano previously served as an international civil servant for the United Nations and its subdivisions. Early life Amano was ...

, diplomat (b. 1947) * July 28 –

Yū Shimaka was a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Production Baobab, and subsequently with Production Aigumi. He was the Japanese voice of the Disney character Goofy. Filmography Film *''Kagemusha'' (1980) – Hara Jingorō #2 Television an ...

, voice actor (b. 1949)

September

* September 2 –

George Abe , known by his pen name , was a Japanese author and former yakuza. Outside Japan he is best known for writing the manga series '' Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin'' in collaboration with artist Masasumi Kakizaki. As a teenager Abe became a me ...

, author (b. 1937) * September 16 – Sakahoko Nobushige, sumo wrestler (b. 1961)

October

* October 6 –

Masaichi Kaneda was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher of Zainichi Korean origin, one of the best-known pitchers in Japanese baseball history, and is the only Japanese pitcher to have won 400 games. He was inducted in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in ...

, baseball pitcher (b. 1933) * October 13 – Kanako Naito, volleyball player (b. 1980) * October 24 –

Kaoru Yachigusa was a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture. From 1947 to 1957 she was a member of the Takarazuka Revue. After leaving the Revue, she was active in film, television, and narration. She famously quit part way through the filming of the televi ...

, actress (b. 1931) * October 29 –

Sadako Ogata , was a Japanese people, Japanese academic, diplomat, author, administrator, and professor emeritus, emerita at the Roman Catholic Sophia University. She was widely known as the head of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu ...

, diplomat, professor (b. 1927)

November

* November 11 – Tadashi Nakamura, voice actor (b. 1929) * November 12 –

Mitsuhisa Taguchi was a Japanese footballer. A Japanese international, he spent his entire career with Mitsubishi Motors. Club career Taguchi was born in Akita on February 14, 1955. After graduating from high school, he joined Mitsubishi Motors in 1973. In 1973 ...

, Japanese footballer (b.

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yiji ...

) * November 13 –

Yukihiro Takiguchi was a Japanese actor, singer, and model affiliated with Stardust Promotion. After modeling in various campaigns, he made his acting debut in the 2004 television series ''Water Boys 2'' and later appeared as Fumizō Sōma from '' Tadashii Ōji ...

, actor (b. 1985) * November 18 –

Midori Kiuchi Midori Kiuchi ( ja, 木内みどり, Kiuchi Midori, September 25, 1950 – November 18, 2019)''Shukan Asahi'' November 26, 1982 issue, page 61 was a Japanese actress. Beside acting, she was a Japanese representative of the Norbulingka Institute. S ...

, actress (b. 1950) * November 29 **

, 45th

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 ...

(b.

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

) **

Makio Inoue Makio may refer to: * Makio, grind used in Aggressive Inline Skating * ''MakiO'', the yearbook of Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus ...

, voice actor (b. 1938)

December

* December 4 ** Tetsu Nakamura, physician (b. 1946) ** Akira Hayami, professor (b. 1929) * December 12 –

Tatsuo Umemiya was a Japanese actor, ''tarento'', and businessman. He was represented by the agency Pickles. His daughter is model and ''tarento'' Anna Umemiya. The son of a doctor, Umemiya gave up a medical career to debut as a Toei New Face at the Toei Stud ...

, actor (b. 1938) * December 19 –

Yoshio Mochizuki was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), and a Minister of the Environment. A native of Shimizu, Shizuoka and graduate of Chuo University, he was ...

, politician (b. 1947)

References

{{Year in Asia , 2019 2010s in Japan Years of the 21st century in Japan Japan Japan