Events in the year

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

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 year 1996 corresponded to

Heisei The was the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor 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, when hi ...

8 (平成8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 ...

Akihito Akihito (born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 1989 until 2019 Japanese imperial transition, his abdication in 2019. The era of his rule was named the Heisei era, Hei ...

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 ...

Tomiichi Murayama is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1994 to 1996. He was the country's first socialist premier since Tetsu Katayama in 1948, and is best remembered for the Murayama Statement on the 50th anniversary of the end of ...

( S–Ōita) until January 11,

Ryūtarō Hashimoto was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1996 to 1998. Born in Okayama Prefecture, Hashimoto graduated from Keio University in 1960 and entered the National Diet in 1963. He rose through the ranks of the Liberal Dem ...

( L–Okayama) * Chief Cabinet Secretary: Kōken Nosaka (S–Tottori) until January 11,

Seiroku Kajiyama was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1969 to 1976 and from 1979 to 2000, as Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic Party from 1992 to 19 ...

(L–Ibaraki) * 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 ...

: Tōru Miyoshi * 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 ...

Takako Doi was a prominent Japanese politician from 1980 until her retirement in 2005. She was the first female Lower House Speaker in Japan, the highest position a female politician has ever held in the country's modern history, as well as the country' ...

(S–Hyōgo) until September 27 (dissolution),

Sōichirō Itō is a sport shooter who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and in the 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic ...

(L–Miyagi) from November 7 * 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 ...

: Jūrō Saitō (L–Mie) *

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: 135th (extraordinary, January 11 to January 13), 136th (regular, January 22 to June 19), 137th (extraordinary, September 27, HR dissolved on same day), 138th (special, November 7 to November 12), 139th (extraordinary, November 29 to December 18)

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 ...

Reiji Suzuki 鈴木礼治さん死去元愛知県知事、93歳
was a Japanese politician. ...

*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 ...

Morio Kimura Morio (written: , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor *, Japanese anime director *, Japanese karateka *, Japanese actor *, pen-name of Sokichi Saitō, ...

*Chiba Prefecture:

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" * ...

*Ehime Prefecture:

Sadayuki Iga Sadayuki (written: or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese daimyo See also * 48624 Sadayuki, a main-belt ...

*Fukui Prefecture:

Yukio Kurita Yukio Kurita ( ''Kurita Yukio''; 6 April 1930 – 17 May 2024) was a Japanese politician. An independent, he served as governor of Fukui Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui P ...

*Fukuoka Prefecture:

Wataru Asō was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as the Governor of Fukuoka from 1995 to 2011.Eisaku Satō was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1964 to 1972. He is the third longest-serving Japanese prime minister, and is ranked second by longest uninterrupted service. Satō is best remembered for securing the return ...

*Gifu Prefecture:

Taku Kajiwara Taku may refer to: Places North America * the Taku River, in Alaska and British Columbia ** Fort Taku, also known as Fort Durham and as Taku, a former fort of the Hudson's Bay Company near the mouth of the Taku River ** the Taku Glacier, in A ...

*Gunma Prefecture:

Hiroyuki Kodera is a common masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Hiroyuki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: extensive, good fortune, spacious. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . It is written in hir ...

* Hiroshima Prefecture: Yūzan Fujita *

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 ...

: Tatsuya Hori *Hyogo Prefecture:

Toshitami Kaihara Toshitami Kaihara (August 24, 1933 - November 13, 2014) became a Vice Governor in 1970 and Governor of Hyogo Profecture in 1986, a position he held for four terms over 15 years. Prior to that he was an official at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He ...

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, ...

Masaru Hashimoto is a Japanese politician who was the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture from 1993 to 2017. Life Masaru Hashimoto was born on 19 November 1945 in Tōkai, Ibaraki Prefecture. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo, and joined the Ministry o ...

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 ...

Masanori Tanimoto is a Japanese politician who was the governor of Ishikawa Prefecture between 1994 and 2022, serving seven terms in total. Early life and political career Tanimoto was born in April 16, 1945. He graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Law in ...

*Iwate Prefecture: Hiroya Masuda *Kagawa Prefecture: Jōichi Hirai *Kagoshima Prefecture: Yoshiteru Tsuchiya (until 26 June);

Tatsurō Suga Tatsurō, Tatsuro or Tatsurou (written: , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese singer *, Japanese football player *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, Japanese baseball ...

(starting 31 July) *

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 ...

Hiroshi Okazaki is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7- dan. Shogi professional Promotion history The promotion history for Okazaki is as follows: * 6-kyū is a Japanese language, Japanese term used in modern martial arts as well as in Japanes ...

*Kochi Prefecture:

Daijiro Hashimoto is a politically independent former governor of the Kōchi Prefecture who served from 1991 to 2007, with an intermediate resignation in 2004 to test support after a scandal alleging transactions between his campaign aide and a construction compan ...

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 ...

: Joji Fukushima *

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 ...

: Teiichi Aramaki *Mie Prefecture: Masayasu Kitagawa *

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 ...

: Shirō Asano *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: Isamu Takada *Nara Prefecture: Yoshiya Kakimoto *

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 ...

Ikuo Hirayama was a Japanese Nihonga painter and educator. Born in Setoda, Hiroshima, Setoda-chō, Hiroshima Prefecture, he was famous in Japan for Silk Road paintings of dreamy desert landscapes in Iran, Iraq, and China. Biography In 1952, he graduated fro ...

*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 (until 12 November); Masahiro Ishii (starting 12 November) *

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 ...

Masahide Ōta was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 1990 until 1998. After starting his career as a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs, he wrote books in English and Japanese, mostly about the B ...

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 ...

Knock Yokoyama was a Japanese politician and comedian. Born Isamu Yamada (山田勇 ''Yamada Isamu'') in Asahikawa (Hokkaido), he adopted his current stage name while directing the ''Manga Trio'' manzai troupe from 1959 to 1968. Following his comedy years, he ...

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 ...

: Isamu Imoto *

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 ( ...

Yoshihiko Tsuchiya Yoshihiko is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Yoshihiko can be written using different combinations of kanji characters, such as: *義彦, "justice, elegant boy" *義比古, "justice, young man (archaic)" *吉彦, "good luck, el ...

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 ...

Minoru Inaba is a Japanese voice actor from Shizuoka Prefecture. He is affiliated with Ken Production. Inaba is best known for his roles in Disney productions (as Dale), ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' (as Buzz Lightyear), and '' The Transformers'' (as ...

*Shiname Prefecture: Nobuyoshi Sumita *Shizuoka Prefecture: Yoshinobu Ishikawa *Tochigi Prefecture:

Fumio Watanabe (October 31, 1929 – August 4, 2004) was a Japanese actor most known for his work with Japanese New Wave director Nagisa Oshima. He was born in Tokyo and graduated from the University of Tokyo before joining the Shōchiku studio in 1956. Sele ...

*Tokushima Prefecture: Toshio Endo *

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 ...

Yukio Aoshima was a Japanese politician who served as Governor of Tokyo from 1995 to 1999. He is also well known as a TV actor, novelist, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Early life and artistic career Yukio was born in Nihonbashi ward of Tokyo ...

*Tottori Prefecture: Yuji Nishio *Toyama Prefecture: Yutaka Nakaoki *Wakayama Prefecture: Isamu Nishiguchi *Yamagata Prefecture:

Kazuo Takahashi , ring name , is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1993 until 2013 (and then once again in 2018), he competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, RINGS, K-1 HERO'S, and World Victory Road ...

*Yamaguchi Prefecture: Toru Hirai (until 22 August); Sekinari Nii (starting 22 August) *Yamanashi Prefecture: Ken Amano

Events

January 11 Events Pre-1600 * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence. * 630 – Conquest of Mecca: Muhammad and his ...

–

Ryutaro Hashimoto was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1996 to 1998. Born in Okayama Prefecture, Hashimoto graduated from Keio University in 1960 and entered the National Diet in 1963. He rose through the ...

, leader of the

Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

, becomes Prime Minister. *

February 10 Events Pre-1600 * 1258 – The Siege of Baghdad ends with the surrender of the last Abbasid caliph to Hulegu Khan, a prince of the Mongol Empire. * 1306 – In front of the high altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, Robert the Bru ...

– A boulder falls onto the Toyohama Tunnel in Furubira, Hokkaido, crushing a bus and several cars and resulting in 20 fatalities. *

February 27 Events Pre-1600 * 380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity. * 425 – The University of Constantin ...

– ''Red'' and ''Green'' was released in Japan as the first game in the

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

series. *

April 1 Events Pre-1600 * 527 – Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne. * 1081 – Alexios I Komnenos overthrows the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, and, after his tro ...

Tokyo Big Sight , officially known as , is a convention center, convention and exhibition center in Tokyo and the largest such venue in Japan. Opened in April 1996, the center is located in the Ariake, Tokyo, Ariake Minami district of the on the Tokyo Bay waterf ...

opens. *

June 13 Events Pre-1600 * 313 – The decisions of the Edict of Milan, signed by Constantine the Great and co-emperor Valerius Licinius, granting religious freedom throughout the Roman Empire, are published in Nicomedia. * 1325 – Ibn ...

Garuda Indonesia Flight 865 Garuda Indonesia Flight 865 (GA865/GIA865) was a scheduled international flight from Fukuoka, Japan, to Jakarta, Indonesia via Bali, Indonesia. On 13 June 1996, Flight 865 crashed on takeoff from runway 16 at Fukuoka Airport. Out of the 275 occu ...

crashes on takeoff from

Fukuoka Airport — formerly known as Itazuke Air Base — is an international airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. The facility has two runways and covers 355 hectares (877 acres) of land. Fukuoka Airport is the principal a ...

, resulting in three fatalities. *

June 23 Events Pre-1600 * 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu. * 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships. * 1280 – The Spanish ...

- The

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...

home video game console A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. While initial consoles were dedicated units with only a few game ...

is released in Japan. *

June 25 Events Pre-1600 * 524 – The Franks are defeated by the Burgundians in the Battle of Vézeronce. * 841 – In the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye, forces led by Charles the Bald and Louis the German defeat the armies of Lothair I of ...

- A train on the

Takayama Main Line The is a Japanese railway line between Gifu Station in Gifu and Toyama Station in Toyama, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line directly links the Chūkyō Metropolitan Ar ...

collides with a fallen boulder, resulting in 16 injuries. *

July 16 Events Pre-1600 * 622 – The Hijrah of Muhammad begins, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar. * 997 – Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouran ...

– An outbreak of

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' ( )Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escherichia'' that is commonly foun ...

food poisoning Foodborne illness (also known as foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the contamination of food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease), and toxins such ...

in Sakai City resulted in 6309 schoolchildren and 92 school staff members from 62 municipal elementary schools falling ill. *

August 8 Events Pre-1600 * 685 BC – Spring and Autumn period: Battle of Qianshi: Upon the death of the previous Duke of Qi, Gongsun Wuzhi, Duke Zhuang of Lu sends an army into the Duchy of Qi to install the exiled Qi prince Gongzi Jiu as t ...

Tokyo Opera City Tower is a skyscraper located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 1996, it stands 234 metres (768 feet) high and has 54 floors. The tower is the third-tallest building in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and seventh-tallest in Tokyo. The closest train stati ...

is completed. *

September 29 Events Pre-1600 * 61 BC – Pompey the Great celebrates his third triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday. * 1011 – Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah ...

- According to Japan National Police Agency official confirmed report, three vehicles collided on Route 9 in Muraoka, Hyōgo Prefecture, with a total of 11 deaths. * November 12 –

Skymark Airlines Skymark Airlines is a Japanese airline headquartered at Haneda Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. It operates scheduled services with a main base at Haneda Airport with another base at Kobe Airport where it is the dominant carrier. It a ...

was established. *

November 26 Events Pre-1600 * 783 – The Asturian queen Adosinda is held at a monastery to prevent her nephew from retaking the throne from Mauregatus. * 1161 – Battle of Caishi: A Song dynasty fleet fights a naval engagement with Jin dy ...

Tamagotchi is a brand of handheld digital pets that was created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was released by Bandai on November 23, 1996 in Japan and in the United States on May 1, 1997, quickly becoming one of the bigge ...

is released. *

December 6 Events Pre-1600 * 1060 – Béla I is crowned king of Hungary. * 1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv, defended by Voivode Dmytro, falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan. *1492 – After exploring the island of Cuba (which he h ...

- Gamahara Swamp Landslide disaster, A landslide recurs, during restoration work for landslide by heaviest rain hit in July 1995, borders between

and

, according to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, 14 workers lost their lives and 9 were wounded.

Births

* January 10 -

Sakurako Ohara is a Japanese actress and pop singer under Victor Entertainment. Her father is narrator Naochika Hayashida. Filmography Television series Film Theatre Discography Studio albums Mini albums Compilation albums Singles ...

, actress and singer * January 12 -

Ai Hashimoto is a Japanese actress. Early life and career Hashimoto was born in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, the second of three daughters.星原克也「女優魂橋本愛 14歳飛躍の幕開け」,『熊本日日新聞』(Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun) J ...

, actress and fashion model * January 13 - Ami Inamura, gravure idol, and sportscaster * February 7 -

Mai Hagiwara is a Japanese apparel designer and former singer and actress. At age 6, she auditioned for Hello! Project Kids in 2002 and later became part of Cute, a Japanese idol girl group associated with Hello! Project. Career 2002–2005: Hello! Pro ...

, singer * February 10 **

Shiori Niiyama is a Japanese singer and songwriter, who made major debut with single ''Yureru Yureru'' under B Zone in 2013. In, 2018, she announced hiatus which lasted 3 years and in 2021 resumed her music activities. Biography Under the influence of her f ...

, singer and songwriter **

Ukyo Shuto is a Japanese professional baseball infielder/outfielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is the world record holder with a record of 13 consecutive games with stolen bases. Early baseball career Shuto p ...

, professional baseball player * February 16 -

Nana Komatsu is a Japanese actress and model. She is best known for her roles in '' The World of Kanako'', ''Destruction Babies'', '' Drowning Love'', '' The Black Devil and the White Prince'', ''My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'', '' After the Rain'', ''Farewel ...

, actress and model * February 18 -

Ikumi Hisamatsu is a Japanese actress, fashion model, gravure idol, variety and tarento. Biography Hisamatsu was born in Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Jap ...

, fashion model and actress * April 3 -

Mayo Hibi is a Japanese former professional tennis player. Over her career, she won eight singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Women's Circuit The ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, previously known as the ITF Women's Circuit, is a series of pr ...

, tennis player * May 18 -

Yuki Kadono is a Japanese snowboarder who competes in the slopestyle event. Born in Miki, Hyōgo, Japan, he competed for Japan at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, qualifying for the final of the slopestyle event and finishing 8th overall. Kadono won t ...

, snowboarder * May 21 -

Sarina Koga or is a Japanese people, Japanese retired volleyball player who used to be captain (volleyball), captain of the Japan women's national volleyball team. Koga won the bronze medal at the 2013 FIVB Women's U23 Volleyball World Championship, 2013 ...

, volleyball player * May 28 -

Ayano Kudo is a Japanese actress and tarento. In 2009 at the age of 12, she won the 12th National Beauty Pageant (Japan Bishojo Contest). She played the lead role in the movie version of '' Thriller Restaurant'' (Gekijo-ban: Kaidan Resutoran) (2010) as Haru ...

, model and actress * June 7 - Sayuri, singer-songwriter (d. 2024) * June 11 ** Naoki Maeda, footballer **

Ayaka Sasaki is a Japanese idol. She is known as a member of the female musical group Momoiro Clover Z. Her Momoiro Clover Z signature color is Pink. She is the youngest member of the group. Her self-introduction is: . On July 24, 2021, it was reported Sas ...

, singer * June 13 - Kocchi no Kento, singer-songwriter * June 18 -

Ayaka Miyoshi is a Japanese actress, model, and former idol. She is represented by the talent agency Amuse Inc., and was a member of the agency's girl group Sakura Gakuin from 2010 to 2012. Career In October 2007, Miyoshi made her first appearance in a TV ...

, actress and model * June 30 – Kazuma Okamoto, professional baseball player ( Tokyo Giants) * July 5 - Risa Shoji, figure skater * July 18 -

Shiina Natsukawa is a Japanese voice actress, singer and YouTuber from Chiba Prefecture. She is a member of the singing unit TrySail, along with Sora Amamiya and Momo Asakura. She is affiliated with Music Ray'n. Her notable roles include Akeno Misaki in ''High S ...

, voice actress and singer * August 24 - Kenzo Shirai, gymnast * September 6 -

Rika Hongo Rika Hongo (; born September 6, 1996) is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater who is a two-time (2015–16) Four Continents bronze medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup champion, 2015 Finlandia Trophy champion and 2014–15 Japanese national si ...

, figure skater * September 12 - Nakamura Umemaru, actor * September 15 -

Nao Furuhata is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group SKE48. She is a former member of SKE48's Team KII, and a former member of AKB48. Career Furuhata was born in Aichi Prefecture, and passed SKE48's 5th generation auditions in October 2011. Her ...

, idol singer * September 16 -

Ryusei Yokohama is a Japanese actor, model, and former singer. He is best known for playing the role of the pink-haired Yuri Kyohei in the 2019 romantic comedy drama ''A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love'', as well as List of Ressha Sentai ToQger chara ...

, actor * September 19 -

Haruka Kodama is a Japanese actress and former member of the idol girl groups HKT48 and AKB48. In HKT48, she was a member of Team H. She has been the lead performer of three HKT48 singles: "Hikaeme I Love You!" (2014), "12 Byō" (2015, with Sakura Miyawaki), ...

, idol singer * September 23 - Takashi Matsuo, actor * October 8 -

Sara Takanashi (born 8 October 1996) is a Japanese ski jumper. She is one of the most successful female ski jumpers to date, as well as one of the most successful athletes in the history of the sport, having won four World Cup overall titles (an all-time fema ...

, ski jumper * October 30; **

Mizuki Fukumura is a Japanese singer and actress. She is a former ninth-generation member, leader of the pop group Morning Musume as well as the seventh leader of Hello Project. Prior to becoming part of Morning Musume, Fukumura was known as a member of the se ...

, singer **

Shori Sato is a Japanese idol, actor, and member of the idol group timelesz, under Starto Entertainment. Sato entered Johnny & Associates on 30 October 2010. Early life and education He was born on 30 October 1996. The youngest of four siblings, he has ...

, actor, model, singer and pop idol * November 9 -

Momo Hirai known mononymously as Momo (; ), is a Japanese singer, dancer, and rapper based in South Korea. She is a member of South Korean girl group Twice under JYP Entertainment and its subunit MiSaMo. Life and career Early life and pre-debut activi ...

, singer and member of South Korean girl group

Twice Twice (; Japanese language, Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ''Tuwaisu''; commonly stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon ...

* November 15 -

Kanako Watanabe is a Japanese competitive swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke. She competed in the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 15 for the 200m Women's Breaststroke event. She again competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Her s ...

, swimmer * November 16 - Hiroshi Kaino, professional baseball player * November 18 -

Saki Ogawa , formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project, which originally consisted of four former Hello! Pro Egg (''Hello! Project'' trainees) members that left Egg in 2010 and became full-time members of ''Hello! P ...

, singer * December 2 –

Minato Oike Minato Oike (大池水杜, ''Ōike Minato'', born 2 December 1996) is a Japanese BMX freestyle cyclist. Oike competed at the 2020 Olympic Games where she came 7th in the women's BMX freestyle event. Competitive history All results are sourced ...

, BMX freestyle cyclist * December 12 -

Karen Miyama is a Japanese actress and voice actress. She used to be part of the Gekidan Tohai talent agency, and is now part of Horipro talent agency. She portrayed the young Ann Uekusa in the live-action drama '' Sand Chronicles''. In anime, she provide ...

, actress * December 13 - Miu Sato, figure skater * December 29 -

Sana Minatozaki Sana Minatozaki (; born December 29, 1996), known mononymously as Sana (; ), is a Japanese singer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment, and its subunit MiSaMo, formed ...

, singer and member of South Korean girl group

Deaths

*January 7 –

Tarō Okamoto was a Japanese artist, art theorist, and writer. He is particularly well known for his avant-garde paintings, public sculptures, and murals, his theorization of traditional Japanese culture, and his avant-garde artistic practices. Biography ...

, artist (b.

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

) *January 8 –

Michiya Mihashi Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 ''Mihashi Michiya'', November 10, 1930 – January 8, 1996), born Michiya Kitazawa (北沢美智也 ''Kitazawa Michiya'') in Kamiiso, Hokkaidō, was an enka singer in postwar Japan. Along with Hachiro Kasuga and ...

enka is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...

singer (b.

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...

) *February 5 –

Hideo Oguni was a Japanese writer who wrote over 100 screenplays. He is best known for co-writing screenplays for a number of films directed by Akira Kurosawa, including '' Ikiru'' (1952), '' Seven Samurai'' (1954), ''Throne of Blood'' (1957), and '' The H ...

, writer (b.

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

) *February 12 –

Ryōtarō Shiba , also known as , was a Japanese author. He is best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the r ...

, writer (b.

1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...

) *February 20 –

Tōru Takemitsu was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental phil ...

, composer (b.

) *May 11 –

Yasuko Namba was the second Japanese woman (after Junko Tabei) to climb the Seven Summits. Namba worked as a businesswoman for Federal Express in Japan, but her hobby of mountaineering took her all over the world. She first summited Kilimanjaro on New Year ...

, mountaineer, summited the

Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. On 30 April 1985, Richard Bass became the first climber to reach the summit of all seven. In January 2023, ''Climbing (magazine), Climbing'' said "Today, t ...

(b.

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

) *June 6 – Kusuo Kitamura,

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

swimmer (b.

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

) *July 30 – Arihiro Hase, actor and voice actor (b.

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

) *August 4 –

Kiyoshi Atsumi , born , was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Tora-san in the Japanese comedy film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, a role he played 48 times over 26 years. Life and career Atsumi was born in Tokyo suffering from childhood malnutr ...

, actor (

Otoko wa Tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma, whose nickname is , a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "''Tora-san''" by its fans. Spanning 48 installments rel ...

) (b.

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

) *September 23 –

Fujiko F. 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 consiste ...

, cartoonist (b.

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

) *September 29 –

Shūsaku Endō was a Japanese author who wrote from the perspective of a Japanese Catholic. Internationally, he is known for his 1966 historical fiction novel ''Silence'', which was adapted into a 2016 film of the same name by director Martin Scorsese. He ...

, novelist (b.

)

References

{{Year in Asia, 1996 Years of the 20th century in Japan

1990s in Japan