Events in the year 1981 in

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

(Emperor Shōwa) *

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 ...

Zenko Suzuki The Kudara no Konikishi clan (Japanese language, Japanese: 百済王氏, ''Kudara no konikishi-uji'') was a Japan, Japanese clan whose founder, Zenkō ( or ), was a son of Uija of Baekje, King Uija, the last king of Baekje (located in the southwes ...

( L–Iwate) * Chief Cabinet Secretary:

Kiichi Miyazawa was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1991 to 1993. Born in Tokyo, Miyazawa graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a law degree, and in 1942 joined the Ministry of Finance. He was first elected to the Nati ...

(L–Hiroshima) * Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

: Takaaki Hattori * President of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

Hajime Fukuda is the Japanese word meaning . In Japanese traditional martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, Kūdō and kendo, it is a verbal command to "begin". Hajime is also a common Japanese given name for males. In the Amami Islands, Hajime (元) is a ...

(L–Fukui) * President of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

Masatoshi Tokunaga Masatoshi (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film director *, Japanese politician *, Japanese comedian *, Japanese samurai *, Japanes ...

(L–national) *

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

sessions: 94th (regular session opened in December 1980, to June 6), 95th (extraordinary, September 24 to November 28), 96th (regular, December 21 to 1982, August 21)

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 ...

Yoshiaki Nakaya Yoshiaki is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Yoshiaki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *孔明, "even bright" *義明, "justice, bright" *義昭, "justice, bright" *義 ...

*Akita Prefecture: Kikuji Sasaki *

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 ...

Masaya Kitamura Masaya () is the capital city of Masaya Department in Nicaragua. It is situated approximately 14 km west of Granada and 31 km southeast of Managua. It is located just east of the Masaya Volcano, an active volcano from which the city ...

*Chiba Prefecture:

Kiichi Kawakami Kiichi (written: , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese equestrian *, Imperial Japanese Navy admiral *, Japanese politician *, Japanese mixed martial artist *, J ...

(until 27 February);

Takeshi Numata Takeshi ( in hiragana or in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Forms in kanji can include: *武, "warrior" *毅, "strong" *猛, "fierce" *健, "healthy" *剛, "sturdy" *彪, "spotted" *威, "intimidate" *壮, "robust" * ...

(starting 4 April) *Ehime Prefecture:

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

*Fukui Prefecture: Heidayū Nakagawa *Fukuoka Prefecture:

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

*Fukushima Prefecture:

Isao Matsudaira is a masculine Japanese given name which was popular during the Shōwa period (1926–1989). Written forms Isao can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *功, "achievement" *勲, "meritorious" *績, "exploits" *公, "pub ...

*Gifu Prefecture: Yosuke Uematsu *Gunma Prefecture:

Ichiro Shimizu , also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played for 28 seasons. He played the first nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the next 12 years w ...

* Hiroshima Prefecture:

Hiroshi Miyazawa was a Japanese politician who served as the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1973 to 1981 and the Minister of Justice from 1995 to 1996. Biography Miyazawa was born in 1921. He was the younger brother of Kiichi Miyazawa. He was elected a ...

(until 29 October);

Toranosuke Takeshita was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1981 to 1993. In August 1990, while participating in a symposium in Hiroshima, he publicly called on Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2 ...

(starting 29 October) *

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan 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 fr ...

Naohiro Dōgakinai Naohiro Dōgakinai () (June 2, 1914 – February 2, 2004) was the 3rd Governor of Hokkaido (1971–1983). He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic Party, and originally from Sapporo. Awards *Order of the Sacred ...

*Hyogo Prefecture: Tokitada Sakai *

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, ...

: Fujio Takeuchi *

Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...

Yōichi Nakanishi Yōichi Nakanishi () (September 23, 1917 – February 2, 1994) was Governor of Ishikawa Prefecture (1963–1994). He was a graduate of Kyoto University and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) The , frequently abbreviated to LDP, t ...

*Iwate Prefecture: *Kagawa Prefecture: Tadao Maekawa *Kagoshima Prefecture: Kaname Kamada *

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

: Kazuji Nagasu *Kochi Prefecture:

Chikara Nakauchi Chikara may refer to: * Chikara (given name) * Chikara (instrument), a stringed instrument from India * Chikara-mizu (力水), a ritual at the beginning of a sumo match * ''Chikara'' (album), a 1988 album by Kiss * Chikara (professional wrestling ...

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 ...

: Issei Sawada *

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 ...

Yukio Hayashida was a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Councillors. Hayashida served as the Governor of Kyoto from April 16, 1978 until April 15, 1986. He later became the Minister of Justice from November 6, 1987 to December 27, 1988. H ...

*Mie Prefecture: Ryōzō Tagawa *

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 ...

Sōichirō Yamamoto is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for writing and illustrating ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'', '' Fudatsuki no Kyōko-chan'', '' In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki'', and '' When Will Ayumu Make His Move?'', some of which were ran simultaneous ...

*Miyazaki Prefecture: Suketaka Matsukata *

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 ...

: Gorō Yoshimura *Nagasaki Prefecture: Kan'ichi Kubo *Nara Prefecture: Shigekiyo Ueda *

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 ...

: Takeo Kimi *Oita Prefecture:

Morihiko Hiramatsu was a Japanese politician who was governor of Ōita Prefecture from April 1979 to April 2003. He is best known for initiating the One Village One Product movement in the prefecture, which was later followed by various other countries. Early li ...

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 ...

: Shiro Nagano *

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 ...

: Junji Nishime *

Osaka Prefecture is a 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 to the north, Nara ...

Sakae Kishi Sakae may refer to: Places in Japan * Sakae, Chiba (Japanese: 栄町; ''sakae-machi''), a town in Chiba Prefecture * Sakae, Niigata (Japanese: 栄町; ''sakae-machi''), a town in Niigata Prefecture * Sakae, Nagano (Japanese: 栄村; ''sakae-mura'') ...

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 ...

: Kumao Katsuki *

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 ( ...

Yawara Hata was a Japanese politician, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and a governor of Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Sait ...

Shiga Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,398,972 as of 1 February 2025 and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to th ...

Masayoshi Takemura was a Japanese politician. Elected as a representative of the Liberal Democratic Party, in 1993 he broke away to form New Party Sakigake, before joining the newly formed Democratic Party of Japan in 1997. He served as Chief Cabinet Secretary ...

*Shiname Prefecture:

Seiji Tsunematsu Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film directo ...

*Shizuoka Prefecture:

Keizaburō Yamamoto Keizaburō, Keizaburo or Keizaburou (written: 圭三郎 or 啓三郎) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese artist and children's book illustrator {{DEFAULTSORT:Keizaburo Japanese masculine given ...

*Tochigi Prefecture: Yuzuru Funada *Tokushima Prefecture: Yasunobu Takeichi (until 4 October); Shinzo Miki (starting 5 October) *

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 ...

: Shun'ichi Suzuki *Tottori Prefecture: Kōzō Hirabayashi *Toyama Prefecture: Yutaka Nakaoki *Wakayama Prefecture:

Shirō Kariya Shiro, Shirō, Shirow or Shirou may refer to: People *, leader of the Shimabara Rebellion *, Japanese boxer *, Japanese football player 1923–1925 *, Japanese composer *, Japanese weightlifter *, Japanese microbiologist and lieutenant general * ...

*Yamagata Prefecture:

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

*Yamaguchi Prefecture: Toru Hirai *Yamanashi Prefecture: Kōmei Mochizuki

Events

*January to March - A heavy massive snowfall with

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

hit around Japan, according to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, 152 peoples lost their lives, 2,158 peoples were wounded. *March 31 - Pink Lady performs their farewell concert in the

same stadium Same may refer to: * Sameness or identity * ''Idem,'' Latin term for "the same" used in citations Places * Same (Homer), an island mentioned by Homer in the ''Odyssey'' * Same (polis), an ancient city * Same, Timor-Leste, the capital of the Manuf ...

where Candies performed their concert 3 years earlier. *October 10 -

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

issues

jōyō kanji The are those kanji listed on the , officially announced by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The current List of jōyō kanji, list of 2,136 characters was issued in 2010. It is a slightly modified version of the tōyō kanji, kanji, which ...

. *October 16 - Gas explosions at a coal mine in Hokutan,

Yūbari, Hokkaido is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of January 31, 2024, the city has an estimated population of 6,374, with 3,863 households. The total area is 763.20 km2. Hemmed in by mountains, Yūbari stretches for 25 kilom ...

kill 93. *The first fully

Automated guideway transit An automated guideway transit (AGT) or automated fixed-guideway transit or automatic guideway transit system is a type of fixed guideway transit infrastructure with a riding or suspension track that supports and physically guides one or more dri ...

driverless

people mover A people mover or automated people mover (APM) is a type of small-scale automated guideway transit system. The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks ...

train technology in the world, introduced on

Port Island Line The , commonly known as is an urban automated guideway transit (AGT) system in Kobe, Japan, operated by Kobe New Transit. The initial system linked Sannomiya Station, Kobe's main transit hub, to the man-made Port Island, covering a distance ...

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

Popular culture

Arts and entertainment

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, ''

Station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

'' by

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 ''Station (1981 film), Eki'' and ''Shin Abashiri Bangaichi''. He won the 2000 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Yea ...

won the Best film award at the Japan Academy Prize, '' Enrai'' by

Kichitaro Negishi is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in Japan for their intelligence, Negishi has received little international recognition for his work. He has not been credited with a distinctive style but he has been called a ...

won Best film at the

Hochi Film Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded by the ''Hochi Shimbun , previously known as , is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper. In 2002, it had a circulation of a million copies a day. It is an affiliate newspaper of ''Yomiuri Shimbun''. ...

, '' Muddy River'' by

Kōhei Oguri is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Born in Gunma, Oguri first became a freelance assistant director after graduating from Waseda University. He made his directorial debut in 1981 with '' Muddy River'', which earned him both a ...

won Best film at the

Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan, established in 1950 by , established under the name of the "Association of Tokyo Film Journalists Award", which was formed mainly by film reporters from th ...

and '' Something Like It'' by

Yoshimitsu Morita was a Japanese film director. He was known for his versatility, having directed satires, melodramas, crime thrillers, and pinku films. His most acclaimed films include The Family Game (1983), Sorekara (1985), Haru (1996), and Lost Parad ...

won Best film at the

Yokohama Film Festival The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...

. For a list of Japanese films released in 1981 see Japanese films of 1981. In

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

, the winners of the

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is ...

were '' Sunset on Third Street'' by

Ryōhei Saigan Ryōhei, Ryohei, Ryouhei or Ryohhei (written: 良平, 領平, 涼平, 陵平, 亮平, 凌平, 凌兵, 量平, 遼平 or 了平) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese film director *, Japanese footbal ...

(general), ''

Dr. Slump is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from February 1980 to September 1984, with the chapters collected in 18 volumes. The series ...

'' by

Akira Toriyama was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He came to be regarded as one of the most influential and important authors in the history of manga, authoring highly influential and popular series, particularly Dragon Ball (manga), ''Dra ...

(shōnen or shōjo) and ''

Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. First serialized in 1969, the manga's chapters were collected in 45 volumes published by Shogakukan from 1974 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic ...

'' by

Fujiko Fujio was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists and . They debuted in 1951 as a duo under their real names. The Fujiko Fujio name was used for their respective works from 1953 until 1987, when Fujimoto was too ill to work consist ...

(children). ''

Sanshirō of 1, 2 Sanshiro may refer to: *Plawres Sanshiro, a popular anime series aired in 1983 in Japan, Hong Kong, the Middle East and Greece and Algeria *Sanshiro Sugata, the directorial debut of the Oscar-winning Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa *Sanshiro ...

'' by

Makoto Kobayashi is a Japanese physicist known for his work on CP-violation who was awarded one-fourth of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of the origin of the broken symmetry which predicts the existence of at least three families of quar ...

(shōnen) and ''

Ohayō! Spank is a Japanese shōjo manga written by Shun'ichi Yukimuro and drawn by Shizue Takanashi. The series has been adapted as an anime television series, broadcast in Japan from 1981 to 1982 for 66 episodes, and a theatrical movie released in 19 ...

'' by

Shun'ichi Yukimuro Shun'ichi Yukimuro (雪室俊一 ''Yukimuro Shun'ichi'', born January 11, 1941, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese screenwriter for anime television series. Yukimuro has had a career spanning four decades and written ...

and

Shizue Takanashi is a Japanese manga artist known for illustrating the manga series of the girls' anime ''Ojamajo Doremi''. In 1981, she won the Kodansha Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards. The event is sponsored by publisher Kodansha. It has ...

(shōjo) won the

Kodansha Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards. The event is sponsored by publisher Kodansha. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga in its third iteration since 1977. Categories The award was originally called the until 1968. In 1970, it was ...

. '' Kibun wa mou sensou'' by

Katsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist, screenwriter, animator, and film director. He first rose to prominence as a pioneer founder of the New Wave (manga), New Wave in the 1970s. He is best known as the creator of ''Akira (franchise), Akira'', bo ...

won the

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fic ...

for Best Comic of the Year. For a list of manga released in 1981 see :1981 manga. In

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

, the 32nd

Kōhaku Uta Gassen , more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...

was won by the White Team (men).

Akira Terao is a Japanese musician, singer and actor. As of 2012, he is the only male actor to have received both the Japan Record Award and the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Early life Terao was born in Yo ...

won the

FNS Music Festival is an annual music show held among the Fuji Network System and Fuji Television since 1974. The program originated as a song contest to celebrate Fuji TV's 15th anniversary. It is commonly known as FNS, however it has no official short name. ...

. For other music in 1981, see

1981 in Japanese music In 1981 (Shōwa 56), Japanese music was released on records and performed in concerts, and there were charts, awards, contests and festivals. During that year, Japan continued to have the second largest music market in the world, eleven percent ...

. In

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, see:

1981 in Japanese television Events in 1981 in Japanese television. Debuts Ongoing *'' Music Fair'', music (1964–present) *''Mito Kōmon'', jidaigeki (1969–2011) *''Sazae-san'', anime (1969–present) * '' Fisherman Sanpei'', anime (1980–1982) *''Ōe ...

. In

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

Japan FM Network Japan FM Network (JFN; ) is a Japanese commercial radio network. It was founded in 1981. Tokyo FM is the flagship station of the network. Overview FM Tokyo (Tokyo FM), FM Aichi, FM Osaka, and FM Fukuoka, the initial commercial FM stati ...

, Japan's biggest FM radio network, was established in May 1981.

Sports

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

, Japan hosted the

1981 Asian Athletics Championships The 1981 Asian Athletics Championships was the fourth edition of the biennial sport of athletics, athletics competition for Asian nations, and was held from June 5-7, 1981 in Tokyo, Japan. Medal summary Men Women Medal table References Asi ...

where it ranked 1st with 18 gold medals. In

football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

, Japan hosted the

1981 Intercontinental Cup The 1981 Intercontinental Cup was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Flamengo of Brazil on 13 December 1981 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The annual Intercontinental Cup was contested between the winners o ...

. Fujita Engineering won the

Japan Soccer League ; JSL) was the top flight association football league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J.League. JSL Cup, JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professi ...

. For the champions of the regional leagues see:

1981 Japanese Regional Leagues Statistics of Japanese Regional Leagues for the 1981 season. Champions list League standings Hokkaido Tohoku Kanto Hokushinetsu Tokai Kansai Chūgoku Shikoku Kyushu References {{1981 in Japanese football 1981 Jap Jap ...

. In

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

, Japan hosted the Federation Cup, won by the United States.

Births

* January 4:

Hitomi Sakamoto is a female wrestler from Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. She is Captain in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. On 8 August 2012, Obara won the women's 48kg freestyle wrestling gold in her first Olympic Games at London's Excel A ...

, wrestler * January 6:

Rinko Kikuchi is a Japanese actress, and was the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years, for her work in '' Babel'' (2006). Kikuchi's other notable films include '' Norwegian Wood'' (2010), which screened in competition ...

, actress * January 10:

Kumiko Ikeda is a Japanese long jumper. She won bronze medals at the 2000 World Junior Championships and the 2001 Summer Universiade, and finished eleventh at the 2001 World Championships. On the regional level she won a bronze medal at the 2005 Asi ...

, long jumper * January 14:

Chiharu Niiyama , is a Japanese actress and former gravure idol. She is affiliated with Horipro. Personal life Niiyama was born in Aomori. She was previously married to baseball player Satoshi Kuroda in 2004. Together they have a daughter named Koharu Niiyam ...

, actress and model * January 18:

Naoyuki Daigo is a retired male high jumper from Japan. His personal best jump is 2.33 metres, achieved in July 2006 in Kobe. This was the List of Japanese records in athletics, Japanese record until February 2019, when Naoto Tobe broke it by two centimetres. ...

, athlete * February 10:

Yasuyuki Muneta is a Japanese judoka. He won two gold medals and a silver medal at the World Judo Championships. He is from Matsuyama, Ehime. After graduation from Meiji University, He belonged to Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department The , known locally a ...

, judoka * February 21:

Jun Kaname is a Japanese actor and tarento. He was born in Mitoyo, Kagawa and made his drama debut as an actor in 2001 in the Tokusatsu Series " Kamen Rider Agito". He appears not only in TV dramas but also in movies, commercial messages, variety TV progra ...

, actor * March 6 **

Masakazu Fujiwara Masakazu Fujiwara (born 6 March 1981 in Ōkawachi, Hyōgo), in Japanese 藤原正和, is Nise Japanese, Japanese Long-distance running, long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon. He has a personal best of 2:08:12 hours for the event. ...

, long-distance runner **

Mizuki Watanabe , better known simply as Miz, is a Japanese people, Japanese pop/rock singer. Though most of her music is released in Japan, she does her work primarily from Gotland in Sweden, mainly doing promotional videos, photo shoots and recording there. She ...

, J-pop and rock singer * March 18 –

Shohei Tateyama is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher and currently pitting coach for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the NPB. Background Tateyama began his pro ...

, former professional baseball pitcher * March 23:

Takeshi Honda is a former Japanese competitive figure skater. He is a two-time World bronze medalist (2002, 2003), two-time Four Continents champion (1999, 2003), and six-time Japanese national champion. Personal life Takeshi Honda was born on 23 March 1 ...

, figure skater * March 31:

Ryōko Shintani is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Doi, Hitoshi.Shintani Ryouko. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 30, 2010Archivedby WebCite July 31, 2010.Nakagami, Yoshikattsu; Yoshida, Moichi; Onitsuka, Kanako; Nishimoto, Keiko. "Voice Actr ...

, voice actress and singer * April 7: Kazuki Watanabe, musician (d.

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

) * April 14: Shinjiro Koizumi, politician * April 18:

Mai Hoshimura is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and pianist. On May 31, 2009, her contract with Sony ended. Biography Mai Hoshimura was born on April 18, 1981, in Matsue, Shimane. Hoshimura began to learn to play the piano at the age of four. Her mother ...

, musician * April 19:

Kazuhiro Maeda Kazuhiro Maeda (; born 19 April 1981) is a Japanese long-distance runner. Born in Shiroishi, Saga, Maeda made his international debut at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where he ran in the heats of the 5000 metres. He won the K ...

, long-distance runner * April 23:

Megu Hirose (born April 23, 1981 in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese softball player who won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 200 ...

, softball player * May 8:

Yasuko Tajima (born 8 May 1981 in Kanagawa) is a former medley swimmer from Japan. She won the silver medal in the 400m Individual Medley at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and ...

, medley swimmer * May 12:

Naohiro Ishikawa is a former Japanese footballer who played as a midfielder for the Japan national team. Club career Ishikawa was born in Yokosuka on 12 May 1981. He joined Yokohama F. Marinos from youth team in 2000. Although he was Japan U-20 national tea ...

, footballer * May 13:

Hidenori Kato is a Japanese football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally ...

, footballer * May 22:

Fumina Hara is a Japanese actress and gravure idol. Biography History She has played the role of Usagi Tsukino in the Sailor Moon musicals, and has gone on to a varied career. She has played the love interest in '' Aishiteruze Baby''. Personal life She ...

, actress and idol * May 23:

Ema Tōyama is a female Japanese manga artist and illustrator. She made her debut in September 2003 in the monthly manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' with her story, ''Tenshi no Tamago'' ("Angel's Egg", no relation to the anime movie of the same name). Tokyopop ...

, manga artist * May 24: Sayaka Ando, gravure idol * June 6: Daisuke Miyazaki, handball player * June 8:

Ai Nonaka is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She works for Aoni Production and was formerly a member of the voice actor unit Drops, which included fellow voice actor Akemi Kanda, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi. In high school ...

, voice actress * June 18: Yurin, actress, voice actress and singer * July 27:

Mari Hoshino is a Japanese actress and singer. Background She graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. Most well known for her lead role as Otome Sakamoto in the TBS Television (Japan), TBS drama, ''Kinpachi-sensei'', Hoshino has starred in several dramas in ...

, actress and singer * August 4:

Ayumi Tanimoto born 4 August 1981, in Anjo, Aichi, Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, is a Japanese judoka. She was coached by Toshihiko Koga, who is a gold medalist at the 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona Olympics and a silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympic ...

, judoka * August 5:

Kou Shibasaki is a Japanese actress and singer who has performed in television shows, movies, and commercials. She is managed by Stardust Promotion. Biography Acting career Ko (also transcribed Kou and Koh) Shibasaki debuted in 2000, when she portrayed Mitsu ...

, singer and actress * August 10:

Natsumi Abe is a Japanese singer and actress, a former member of Morning Musume, and a member of Dream Morning Musume. Biography She was born in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan. Career On August 13, 2003, she released her first single, "22 Sai no Watash ...

, singer and actress * August 15:

Yoshiko Fujinaga is a female long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as me ...

, long-distance runner * August 28:

Aira Yuhki ''Aira'' is a genus of Old World plants in the Poaceae, grass family, native to western and southern Europe, central and southwest Asia, plus Africa. The common name, shared with the similar related genera ''Deschampsia'' and ''Koeleria'', is h ...

, J-pop singer * September 19:

Rika Fujiwara is a Japanese former tennis player. On 22 August 2005, Fujiwara reached her best singles ranking of world No. 84. On 11 November 2002, she peaked at No. 13 in the WTA doubles rankings. At the 2002 Australian Open, Fujiwara partnered with S ...

, tennis player * September 22:

Hiromitsu Miura was a Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division. He was also a former boxer who competed in the light heavyweight division. Mixed martial arts career Miura earned a WEC title fight against WEC Welterweight Champio ...

, Boxer and former mixed martial artist * September 23: Hiroka Yaginuma, wrestler * September 26 ** Asuka, wrestler **

Marica Hase , also known as , is a Japanese porn actress, and ''Penthouse'' Pet. Starting her career as an erotic model in 2007, Hase began performing in adult videos in 2009 before moving to the United States in 2012. She appeared in more than 500 adult ...

, gravure model and pornographic actress * October 6:

Chiharu Icho is a Japanese sport wrestling, wrestler who competed in the 48 kg Wrestling weight classes, weight class at the Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg, 2004 and Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's fr ...

, wrestler * October 8:

Ryuji Sainei , born on October 8, 1981, in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese actor, best known for his role as Banban "Ban" Akaza/Deka Red in the 2004 Super Sentai series ''Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger''. He is currently a freelance actor but w ...

, actor * October 17:

Tsubasa Imai is a Japanese singer, actor and dancer formerly in the Japanese agency Johnny & Associates. He joined Johnny & Associates in 1995 and officially debuted in 2002 in the duo Tackey & Tsubasa with Hideaki Takizawa. They are signed to the record labe ...

, singer, actor, and dancer * October 25:

Hiroshi Aoyama is a Japanese retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, and current team principal of Honda Team Asia. Aoyama is best known for winning the 2009 250cc World Championship title. He is the older brother of former 250cc and World Superbike rider, ...

, motorcycle road racer * October 30 **

Ayaka Kimura , born October 30, 1981 and known professionally as , is a Japanese actress and former singer. From 1998 to 2008, Nagate was part of Hello! Project as a member of the Japan-based girl group Coconuts Musume. History Nagate joined Hello! Proje ...

, actress and J-pop singer **

Eri Sendai is a Japanese actress and voice-actress from Tokyo. Her major roles in anime include Milk/Mimino Kurumi/Milky Rose in ''Yes! Precure 5'', Saotome Rei in ''Yu-Gi-Oh! GX'', Sa Kōrin in '' The Story of Saiunkoku'', Morita Yukari in ''Rocket Girls ...

, voice actress * November 3:

Ayako Shoda Ayako is a feminine Japanese given name. Written forms Ayako can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: * 文子, "writings, child" * 綾子, "twill, child" * 絢子, "kimono design, child" * 彩子, "coloring, child" * 順� ...

, wrestler * November 7 **

Nana Katase is a Japanese actress, singer, and fashion model. She is known for acting in '' Death Note 2: The Last Name'' (2006), ''Arakawa Under the Bridge'' (2010) and ''20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End'' (2008). Katase portrayed Kiyomi Takada ...

, actress **

Rina Uchiyama is a Japanese actress and idol. Career Uchiyama was first discovered in her hometown in Kanagawa Prefecture by the talent agency Sweet Power at the age of 15. She was signed up by the agency, and in 1998, moved to Tokyo to launch her career in ...

, actress and idol * December 8:

Naoyuki Kotani Naoyuki Kotani (born December 8, 1981) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2000, he has formerly competed in PRIDE, Pancrase, UFC, Vale Tudo Japan, and RINGS. M ...

, mixed martial artist * December 19:

Eriko Sato is a Japanese actress. She is also a former gravure idol and made her debut in 1998. Early life Sato was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and raised in Tokyo. Career Sato starred in Hideaki Anno's 2004 comedy film ''Cutie Honey (film), Cutie Honey'' ...

, actress and model * December 29:

Shizuka Arakawa is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic champion and the 2004 World champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and the second Japanese skater to win any Olympic medal in f ...

, figure skater

Deaths

* January 8:

Shigeru Egami was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Shōtōkai style. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate. Early life Egami was born on December 7, 1912, in Ōmuta, F ...

, master of Shotokan karate * February 11:

Fusae Ichikawa was a Japanese people, Japanese feminist, politician and a leader of the Women's suffrage in Japan, women's suffrage movement. Ichikawa was a key supporter of women's suffrage in Japan, and her activism was partially responsible for the extensio ...

, feminist, politician and women's suffrage leader * February 25:

Gunichi Mikawa was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that defeated the United States Navy (USN) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironb ...

, Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy * April 9: Ichiro Nakayama, economist * April 12:

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was the founder of a ōke, collateral branch of the Imperial Household of Japan, Japanese Imperial Family and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese invasion of China and the Second World War. He ...

, founder of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family * April 27: Koji Sone, judoka * May 7:

Hiromichi Yahara was the senior staff officer in charge of operations of the Thirty-Second Army (Japan), 32nd Japanese Army at Okinawa Island, Okinawa during the Battle of Okinawa, American invasion of that island during World War II. Defense of Okinawa Yahara, ...

, senior staff officer * July 4:

Isao Kimura , sometimes credited as Kō Kimura, was a Japanese stage and film actor who appeared in more than one hundred films of directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse, Tadashi Imai and Yoshishige Yoshida. Biography Kimura was born in Hiroshima C ...

, actor * July 19: Daisuke Itō, film director and screenwriter * July 23: Kazuo Taoka, one of the

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

Godfathers * August 22:

Kuniko Mukōda was a Japanese TV screenwriter. Most of her scripts focus on day-to-day family life and relationships. She won the 83rd Naoki Prize (1980上) for her short stories "Hanano Namae", "Kawauso" and "Inugoya." Life Mukōda was born in Tokyo, and mov ...

, screen writer (b.

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * September 8:

Hideki Yukawa Hideki Yukawa (; ; 23 January 1907 – 8 September 1981) was a Japanese theoretical physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949 "for his prediction of the existence of mesons on the basis of theoretical work on nuclear forces". B ...

, physicist * September 14:

Yasuji Kiyose Yasuji Kiyose (清瀬保二 ''Kiyose Yasuji'', 13 January 1900 – 14 September 1981) was a Japanese composer. He studied composition privately with Kōsaku Yamada and Kōsuke Komatsu and in 1930, took an active part in organizing the Shinkō S ...

, composer * September 16:

Akira Iwasaki (18 November 1903 – 16 September 1981) was a prominent left-wing Japanese film critic, historian, and producer. Born in Tokyo, he became interested in film from his student days at Tokyo University. Early on, he helped introduce German experimen ...

, film critic, historian, and producer * December 28:

Seishi Yokomizo was a Japanese mystery novelist, known for creating the fictional detective Kosuke Kindaichi. Early life Yokomizo was born in the city of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. He read detective stories as a boy and in 1921, while employed by the Daiichi Ba ...

, author

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1981 In Japan 1980s in Japan Years of the 20th century in Japan 1981 by country 1981 in Asia

Incumbents

Governors

Events

Popular culture

Arts and entertainment

Sports

Births

Deaths

See also

References