Events from the year 1921 in Japan. It corresponds to Taishō 10 (大正10年) in the

Japanese calendar Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the Japanese era name, year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written f ...

Incumbents

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

: Taishō *

Regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...

(from November 25) *

Prime Minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

: **

Hara Takashi was a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1918 until his assassination. Hara held several minor ambassadorial roles before rising through the ranks of the Rikken Seiyūkai and being elected to the House of Repr ...

(until November 4) **

Takahashi Korekiyo Viscount was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1921 to 1922 and Ministry of Finance (Japan), Minister of Finance when he was assassinated. He was also a member of the House of Peers (Japan) ...

(from November 13)

Governors

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

: Shunji Miyao (until 18 April); Hikoji Kawaguchi (starting 18 April) *Akita Prefecture: Ryoshin Nao *

Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...

: ** until 9 March: Hidehiko Michioka ** 9 March-28 September: Shundo Kahei ** starting 28 September: Yujiro Ozaki *Ehime Prefecture: Toshio Mawatari (until 27 May); Juunosuke Miyazaki (starting 27 May) *Fukui Prefecture: Kohei Yuji (until 27 May); Josuke Shiraogawa (starting 27 May) *Fukuoka Prefecture:

Yasukouchi Asakichi Yasukochi Asakichi

Yasukouchi Asakichi (April 15, 1873 – July 15, ...

*Fukushima Prefecture: Miyata Mitsuo *Gifu Prefecture:

Kanokogi Kogoro Kanokogi (written: 鹿子木) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Rena Kanokogi (1935–2009), American judoka * Ryohei Kanokogi, Japanese judoka *, Japanese painter *, Japanese professor {{surname Japanese-language ...

(until 27 May); Manpei Ueda (starting 27 May) *Gunma Prefecture:

Muneyoshi Oshiba Muneyoshi is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ''daimyō'' *, Japanese agricultural scholar *, Japanese sumo wrestler See also *, Japanese samurai under the Tokugawa clan, whose name was misread b ...

* Hiroshima Prefecture:

Raizo Wakabayashi was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Shimane Prefecture (1908), Nara Prefecture (1909-1913), Yamanashi Prefecture (1913-1914), Saga Prefecture (1914-1915), Kagawa Prefecture (1915-1917), Ehime Prefecture (1917-1919), Hiroshima Pr ...

(until 19 July); Ichiro Yoda (starting 19 July) *

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

: Yuichiro Chikaraishi (until 27 May); Genjiro Moriya (starting 27 May) *Iwate Prefecture:

Takeo Kakinuma Takeo may refer to: * Takéo Province, a province of Cambodia **Doun Kaev (town), formerly known as Takéo, the capital of Takéo province *Ta Keo, an Angkorian temple in Cambodia *Takeo, Saga, a city in Saga Prefecture, Japan *Takeo (given name), ...

*Kagawa Prefecture: Yoshibumi Satake *Kochi Prefecture:

Abe Yoshihiko Abe or ABE may refer to: Aviation * Aviation boatswain's mate, equipment, a United States Navy occupational rating * IATA airport code for Lehigh Valley International Airport in State of Pennsylvania, USA People and fictional characters * Shinzo ...

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 t ...

: Hikoji Kawaguchi (until 27 May); Sansuke Nakayama (starting 27 May) *

Kyoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture ...

Eitaro Mabuchi was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Yamagata Prefecture (1906-1912), Yamaguchi Prefecture (1914-1916), Mie Prefecture (1914-1916), Hiroshima Prefecture from April 1916 to May 1918, Kyoto Prefecture (1918-1921) and mayor of Kyoto ...

(until July);

(starting July) *Mie Prefecture:

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

Miyagi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...

: Mori Masataka (until 27 May); Yuichiro Chikaraishi (starting 27 May) *Miyazaki Prefecture: Naomiki Hirose (until 3 July);

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

(starting 3 July) *

Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...

Tenta Akaboshi was a Japanese politician. He was governor of Kumamoto Prefecture (1913–1914), Yamaguchi Prefecture (1914–1915), Nagano Prefecture (1915–1921) and Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan, mainly located on ...

(until 27 May);

Tadahiko Okada was a Japanese politician. He was governor of Saitama Prefecture (1916-1919), Nagano Prefecture (1921-1922) and Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a p ...

(starting 27 May) *

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

Ota Masahiro Ōta, Ota, or Ohta may refer to the following: People * Ota (wife of Arnulf of Carinthia), Queen of the East Franks 888-899, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire 896-899 *Ota (cartoonist), Brazilian cartoonist * Atsuya Ota, Japanese basketball pla ...

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...

Masao Kishimoto Masao Kishimoto () (October 1881 – May 20, 1963) was Director of the Karafuto Agency (December 17, 1931 – July 5, 1932). He was Governor of Akita Prefecture (1922–1924), Yamagata Prefecture (1924), Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of J ...

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

Sōsuke Kawagoe Sōsuke, Sosuke or Sousuke (written: 宗佑, 宗輔, 宗助, 壮祐, 壮介, 壮亮, 荘介, 蒼甫, 創介, そうすけ, or ソウスケ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese professional baseball ...

(until 27 May); Jyun Wada (starting 27 May) *

Saga Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...

: Sawada Ushimaro (until 3 June);

Tominaga is a Japanese surname meaning "eternal prosperity" or "enduring wealth". It is composed of two Kanji characters: * 富 (''Tomi'') – "wealth" or "prosperity". * 永 (''Naga'') – "eternal" or "enduring". The surname is common in Japan, with sig ...

(starting 3 June) *

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

: Horiuchi Hidetaro *Shiname Prefecture: Sanehide Takarabe *Tochigi Prefecture: Hiroyoshi Hiratsuka *Tokushima Prefecture: Rinpei Otsu (until month unknown) *

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

: Hiroshi Abe (until 27 May); Katsuo Usami (starting 27 May) *Toyama Prefecture: Higashizono Motomitsu (until 24 December); Shida Jisho (starting 24 December) *Yamagata Prefecture: Ichiro Yoda (until 19 July); Morimoto Izumi (starting 19 July) *Yamanashi Prefecture: Miki Nagano

Events

*January 15 –

Mitsubishi Electronics is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1921 as a spin-off from the electrical machinery manufacturing d ...

was separate section from Mitsubishi Shipbuildings (now

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...

) which was founded in Ōsone,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

. *January Unknown date –

Komatsu Limited or is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures construction, mining, forestry and military heavy equipment, as well as diesel engines and industrial equipment like press machines, lasers and thermoelectric generators. Its headq ...

was founded, as predecessor name was Komatsu Ironworks. *September –

Sempill Mission The Sempill Mission was a British naval aviation technical mission led by Captain William Forbes-Sempill and sent to Japan in September 1921, with the objective of helping the Imperial Japanese Navy develop its aeronaval forces. The mission consi ...

sent by Britain to Japan, with the objective of helping the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

develop its aeronaval forces. *October 16 –

Janome Sewing Machine is a Japanese company that produces sewing machines, with manufacturing plants in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. The company name until September 30, 2021 was . History Pine Sewing Machine Company The Pine Sewing Machine factory was founded on 1 ...

founded. *November 4 – Prime Minister

is assassinated at

Tokyo Station Tōkyō Station (, ) is a major railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is not far ...

. *November 12 –

Washington Naval Conference The Washington Naval Conference (or the Washington Conference on the Limitation of Armament) was a disarmament conference called by the United States and held in Washington, D.C., from November 12, 1921, to February 6, 1922. It was conducted out ...

opens at

Memorial Continental Hall The Memorial Continental Hall in Washington, D.C. is the national headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). It is located at 1776 D Street NW, sharing a city block with the DAR's later-built Administration Building, and Con ...

Hall in downtown

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. *November 25 – Crown Prince

is made

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

in place of his ailing

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...

. *December 13 – In the

Four-Power Treaty The Four-Power Treaty (四カ国条約, ''Shi-ka-koku Jōyaku'') was a treaty signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast ...

on Insular Possessions,

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, the United States, United Kingdom, and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

agree to recognize the status quo in the Pacific. *Termination of

Anglo-Japanese Alliance The was an alliance between the United Kingdom and the Empire of Japan which was effective from 1902 to 1923. The treaty creating the alliance was signed at Lansdowne House in London on 30 January 1902 by British foreign secretary Lord Lans ...

. *

Ladies' Agreement The Ladies' Agreement of 1921 was an informal agreement between the United States and Japan that barred the emigration of picture brides. This agreement almost completely ended Japanese emigration to America, following the Gentlemen's Agreement o ...

*Unknown date –

Otsuka Pharmaceutical (), abbreviated OPC, is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo, Osaka and Naruto, Tokushima, Naruto, Japan. The company was established August 10, 1964. History OPC's parent company Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd. joined the Tokyo Stock Excha ...

(大塚製薬) founded in Naruto, Shikoku Island.

Births

*January 3 –

Natsuko Kahara was a Japanese stage and film actress. She was a member of the Bungakuza theatre company and regularly appeared in the films of director Mikio Naruse. During her 50 years spanning career, she also worked for directors such as Yasujirō Ozu, Akir ...

, actress (d.

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

) *January 26 –

Akio Morita was a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony along with Masaru Ibuka. Early life Akio Morita was born in Nagoya. Morita's family was involved in sake, miso and soy sauce production in the village of Kosugaya (currently a part of Toko ...

, businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation (d.

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

) *February 9 –

Junzo Shono was a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, he began writing novels after World War II. He won the 1954 Akutagawa Prize for his book ''Purusaido Shokei'' (''Poolside Scene''). Shōno's other award-winning books include ''Seibutsu'' (''Still Life' ...

, writer (d.

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

) *February 11 –

Edward Seidensticker Edward George Seidensticker (February 11, 1921 – August 26, 2007) was a noted post-World War II American scholar, historian, and preeminent translator of classical and contemporary Japanese literature. His English translation of the epic ''The ...

, scholar, historian, and translator (d.

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

) *February 14 –

Toshiko Taira was a Japanese textile artist who was based in Okinawa. She created , a cloth made from the fibre of the ''Musa basjoo'', otherwise known as the Japanese fibre banana plant. Taira became a designated Living National Treasure of Japan in 2000. ...

, textile artist (d.

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

) *March 19 –

Heitaro Nakajima was a Japanese digital audio pioneer, who led Sony's Compact Disc project in the 1970s. Born in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Nakajima graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1944, an ...

, engineer (d.

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

) *April 20 –

Michiko Inukai was a Japanese Roman Catholic author and philanthropist. She was the founder of the Michiko Inukai Foundation, which provides financial aid for refugees seeking education. Biography Michiko Inukai was born in Yotsuya, Tokyo, the eldest daughte ...

, writer and philanthropist (d.

) *December 20 – Kosuke Gomi, novelist (d.

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

)

Deaths

*January 13 –

Ijuin Gorō Marshal Admiral Baron was a Meiji-period career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Life and career Born in what is now part of Kagoshima city, as the son of a ''samurai'' retainer of Satsuma domain, he fought as a Satsuma ''samurai'' and ...

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

(b. 1852) *June 19 –

Nabeshima Naohiro was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the mid-Edo period, who ruled the Hasunoike Domain in Hizen Province (modern-day Saga Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a populati ...

, politician and former

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

(b. 1846) *September 28 –

Yasuda Zenjirō was a Japanese entrepreneur from Toyama, Etchu Province (present-day Toyama Prefecture) who founded the Yasuda zaibatsu (安田財閥). He donated the to the University of Tokyo. He was a maternal great-grandfather of Yoko Ono via his daughte ...

, entrepreneur, founder of the

Yasuda zaibatsu was a financial conglomerate owned and managed by the Yasuda clan. One of the four major zaibatsu of Imperial Japan, it was founded by the entrepreneur Yasuda Zenjirō. It was dissolved at the end of World War II. Origins Yasuda Zenjirō moved ...

(b. 1838) *November 4 –

, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1856) *November 5 – Yusuke Hashiba, archaeologist, historian and anthropologist (b.

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion in China, one of the bloodiest revolts that would lead to 20 million deaths. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-d ...

) *December 29 –

Hayashi Yūzō was a politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war Empire of Japan. Biography Hayashi Yūzō was a native of Tosa Province (modern-day Kōchi Prefecture), where his father, Iwamura Hidetoshi, was a samurai in the service of Tosa Domain. His e ...

, politician (b. 1842)

References

{{Asia topic, 1921 in 1920s in Japan 1921 by country Years of the 20th century in Japan 1921 in Asia