2001 in Japan
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- EmperorEmperor of JapanThe Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
: AkihitoAkihitois the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of JapanThe is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
: Yoshiro MoriYoshiro Moriis a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
, Junichiro KoizumiJunichiro Koizumiis a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the... - Chief Cabinet SecretaryChief Cabinet Secretary__notoc__The of Japan is a Minister of State who is responsible for directing the Cabinet Secretariat. The main function of Chief Cabinet Secretary is to coordinate the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch...
: Yasuo FukudaYasuo Fukudawas the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.... - Governor of Tokyo: Shintaro IshiharaShintaro Ishiharais a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
Events
- January 6: Nurse Daisuke MoriDaisuke Moriis a Japanese nurse, who was convicted for giving lethal doses of the muscle relaxant drug Vecuronium to his patients in a clinic in Izumi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. He was suspected as a medical serial killer, though he was convicted of one murder....
was arrested for an attempted murder of 11-year-old girl. - January 31: 2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incidentOn Wednesday, January 31, 2001, Japan Airlines Flight 907, using a Boeing 747-446 Domestic bound from Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan to Naha International Airport in Naha, Okinawa, Japan and Japan Airlines Flight 958, using a Douglas DC-10-40D bound from Gimhae International...
- February 9: The fishing boat Ehime Maru is struck by a U.S. submarine and sunk.
- March 24: 2001 Geiyo earthquake, kill two people with injure 288 in HiroshimaHiroshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
and EhimeEhime Prefectureis a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
. - March 31: Universal Studios JapanUniversal Studios Japan, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
opens. - April 1: Sakura Bank and Sumitomo Bank merge to form Sumitomo Mitsui Banking CorporationSumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporationis a Japanese bank based in Yurakucho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is a member of the Sumitomo Group and Mitsui Group. As of the year 2009, SMBC was the second largest bank in Japan in terms of assets.-History:...
. - April 6: Japanese government institutes new overtimeOvertimeOvertime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
regulations. - April 24: Junichiro KoizumiJunichiro Koizumiis a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
defeats Ryutaro HashimotoRyutaro Hashimotowas a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from January 11, 1996 to July 30, 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politics until scandal...
in LDP polls to become prime minister. - April 26: Koizumi announces his first cabinet, with Makiko TanakaMakiko Tanakais a Japanese politician, the daughter of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.Tanaka attended high school at Germantown Friends School in the United States and graduated from Waseda University...
as foreign minister and Heizo TakenakaHeizo Takenakais a Japanese economist and retired politician, last serving as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services in the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi...
as Minister of State for the Economy. - June 8: Osaka school massacreOsaka school massacreThe Osaka School Massacre took place on June 8, 2001, at Ikeda Elementary School, an elite primary school affiliated with Osaka Kyoiku University in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.- The attack :...
takes place. - July 13: OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
is removed on the first ballot for the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. - July 20: Hayao MiyazakiHayao Miyazakiis a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
's Spirited AwaySpirited Awayis a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,...
premieres; it becomes the first animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
film to win an Academy Award. - July 29: Japan upper house election, 2001.
- August 13: Koizumi visits Yasukuni ShrineYasukuni Shrineis a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...
. - September 1: Myojo 56 building fireMyojo 56 building fireThe began in the Kabukicho section of Shinjuku, Tokyo at about 01:00 local time on September 1, 2001. The fire, the fifth-deadliest in post-war Japanese history, claimed 44 lives and burned for five hours before being extinguished...
kills 44. - September 4: Tokyo DisneySeaTokyo DisneySeais a 176-acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside Tokyo. It opened on September 4, 2001. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 12 million visitors in...
opens. - September 12: In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Nikkei 225Nikkei 225The , more commonly called the Nikkei, the Nikkei index, or the Nikkei Stock Average , is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange . It has been calculated daily by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper since 1950. It is a price-weighted average , and the components are reviewed once a year...
index drops below 10,000 for the first time since 1984. - December 1: Princess Aiko, potential heiress to the Imperial throne, is born.
- December 9: Television performer Masashi TashiroMasashi Tashirois a former Japanese television performer and the founding member of the band Rats & Star. Tashiro was a tenor vocalist for Rats & Star, and later on made himself a name as a TV entertainer in Japan...
is arrested for peeping in a male bath-house. - December 21: TIMETime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
removes Masashi Tashiro from its "Person of the YearPerson of the YearPerson of the Year is an annual issue of the United States newsmagazine Time that features and profiles a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year."- History :The tradition of selecting a Man of the Year...
" poll after 2channel2channelis a Japanese textboard. In 2007 there were 2.5 million posts made every day. Launched in 1999, it has gained significant influence in Japanese society, comparable to that of traditional mass media such as television, radio, and magazines. As of 2008, the site generates revenue upwards of ¥100...
users vote the "bad boy" performer into first place.
Births
- August 4: Seishiro KatoSeishiro Katois a Japanese child actor.He debuted when he was 13 months old. He became recognized after his breakthrough role as Higuchi Yoroku in Tenchijin the 2009 edition of NHK Taiga Drama. Currently, he is actively appearing in many TV dramas, films, and TV commercials...
, actor. - October 1: PankunPankunPan-kun is a young chimpanzee in Japan often featured on the NTV television show "Tensai! Shimura Dōbutsuen" and the TBS program "Dōbutsu Kisō Tengai!"...
, chimpanzee. - December 1: Princess Aiko, the daughter and only child of Crown Prince NaruhitoNaruhito, Crown Prince of Japanis the eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, which makes him the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan.-Early life and education:...
, heir apparent to the JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese throne, and Crown Princess MasakoMasako, Crown Princess of Japanis the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito, the first son of the Emperor Akihito and the Empress Michiko, and a member of the Imperial House of Japan through marriage.-Early life and education:...
.
Deaths
- March 9: Mitsuo KagawaMitsuo Kagawawas a Japanese archaeologist and a professor at Beppu University in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. He committed suicide by hanging himself on March 9, 2001.- Life :...
, archaeologist - April 7: Yasuhira KiyoharaYasuhira KiyoharaYasuhira Kiyohara was a Japanese second lieutenant of the Imperial army who was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment for directing a mob in the February 26 Incident of 1936. He belonged to the 3rd company, 3rd Infantry Regiment...
, lieutenant of the Imperial army - May 17: Hyōichi KōnoHyoichi Konowas a Japanese adventurer, best known for circling Japan on bicycle, and traveling to the North Pole. He was born in the town of Ikata, Ehime, Japan....
, adventurer - July 24: Hiroshi TsuburayaHiroshi Tsuburayawas a Japanese actor. 3rd son of Hajime Tsuburaya and grandchild of Eiji Tsuburaya. Became known to tokusatsu series audiences by playing the leading role in Uchuu Keiji Shaider as Dai Sawamura/Shaider.-Death:Tsuburaya died of liver cancer on July 24th, 2001 due to alcoholism developed through the...
, actor - July 28: Futaro YamadaFutaro Yamadawas the pen name of , a Japanese author.He was born in Yabu, Hyogo.In 1947, he wrote a mystery novel and was awarded a prize by a novel magazine .He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist....
, author - August 25: Ginzō MatsuoGinzo Matsuowas a Japanese voice actor who was born in Nakatsu, Oita, Japan as . He was part of Aoni Production, but he established in 1997. He was most known for the roles of Hemu-Hemu and Ginnosuke Nohara ....
, voice actor - September 9: Shinji SōmaiShinji Sōmaiwas a Japanese film director. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000. His film Ohikkoshi was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Tonda kappuru * Sērā-fuku to kikanjū...
, film director - September 28: Isao InokumaIsao Inokumawas a judoka who competed in the +80 kg and Open divisions.- Biography :Inokuma was born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, and began judo at age 15. He entered the Tokyo University of Education and won the All-Japan Judo Championships in 1959 at only 21 years of age to become the first student competitor to...
, judoka - September 30: Takasi TokiokaTakasi Tokiokawas a Japanese zoologist. He published over 200 scientific articles on marine animals such as chaetognaths, ctenophores, and tunicates. He was Professor of Zoology at Kyoto University working at the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory in Shirahama, Japan...
, zoologist - November 7: Sachiko HidariSachiko HidariSachiko Hidari was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in 42 films between 1952 and 1995. At the 14th Berlin International Film Festival she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her roles in Kanojo to kare and The Insect Woman...
, film actress - November 15: Satoru KobayashiSatoru Kobayashi (director)was a Japanese film director most famous for directing the first pink film, the type of softcore pornographic films that became the most prolific film genre in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s...
, film director - November 30: Kikutaro BabaKikutaro Babawas a Japanese malacologist. He was the leading researcher on sea slugs and bubble snails, opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in Japan.- Biography :* 1932-1941 Kyushu University* 1948-1949 Osaka Kyoiku University* 1976 - Order of the Rising Sun...
, malacologist - December 20: Kōji NanbaraKoji Nanbarawas a Japanese actor. He was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. He died of a myocardial infarction in Chōfu, Tokyo at age 74.-External links:...
, actor - December 22: Shizue Kato, politician and activist
- December 29: Takashi AsahinaTakashi Asahinawas a Japanese conductor. Born in Tokyo, he founded the Kansai Symphonic Orchestra in 1947 and remained its chief conductor until his death in Kobe. Inspired by a meeting with Wilhelm Furtwängler in the 1950s, he began a lifelong attachment to the music of Anton Bruckner, recording the complete...
, conductor