The following lists events that happened during

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

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 ...

. *Year:

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 ...

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 ...

Shinzō Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving pri ...

( L– Yamaguchi) * Chief Cabinet Secretary:

Yoshihide Suga is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2020 to 2021. He had served as Chief Cabinet Secretary during the second administration ...

(L–

Kanagawa 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 ...

) * 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 ...

Itsurō Terada is a Japanese people, Japanese lawyer who served as the 18th Chief Justice of Japan, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan. Early life and education Terada was born in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. He was born into a family of great judic ...

*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 ...

Tadamori Oshima Tadamori is a Japanese surname and masculine given name. Kanji Kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part ...

(L–Aomori) *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 ...

: Masaaki Yamazaki (L–Fukui) until July 25, Chūichi Date (L-Hokkaidō) from August 1 *National Diets: 190th (regular session, January 4–June 1), 191st (extraordinary session, August 1–3), 192nd (extraordinary session, September 26–November 30 nless extended or cut short by lower house dissolution

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 ...

Hideaki Omura Hideaki (ひであき) is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Hideaki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *秀秋, "excellent", "autumn" *英秋, "outstanding", "autumn" *秀明, "excellent", "bright" *� ...

*Akita Prefecture:

Norihisa Satake is a Japanese politician. A former two-term mayor of Akita City in Akita Prefecture, first elected in 2001. He was the Governor of Akita Prefecture for four terms between 2009 and 2025. He is the 21st head of the North Satake branch of the Sa ...

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 ...

Shingo Mimura is a Japanese politician who served as Governor of Aomori Prefecture for five terms, from June 29, 2003 to June 28, 2023. He previously served as a member of House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodi ...

*Chiba Prefecture:

Kensaku Morita is a retired Japanese politician, actor and singer. He was elected as the Governor of Chiba Prefecture in March 2009 to April 2021『』からリンクする知事選挙「開票結果」（Excelファイル）千葉県選挙管理委員会に� ...

*Ehime Prefecture:

Tokihiro Nakamura is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Ehime Prefecture, located in the Shikoku region of Japan. He succeeded Moriyuki Kato in the 2010 Ehime gubernatorial election. Nakamura has previously served as the mayor of Matsuyama, the larg ...

*Fukui Prefecture:

Issei Nishikawa is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Fukui Prefecture in Japan. He was elected first in 2003. A native of Asahi, Fukui and graduate of Kyoto University with the B.L. degree in 1968, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs An inte ...

*Fukuoka Prefecture: Hiroshi Ogawa *Fukushima Prefecture:

Masao Uchibori is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. He previously served as the vice-governor of his predecessor Yūhei Satō is a former governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. He was first elected in Nove ...

*Gifu Prefecture:

Hajime Furuta is a former governor of Gifu Prefecture in Japan. He held the office for five terms between 2005 and 2025. A native of Gifu City, he was chosen as the final torchbearer for the National Sports Festival when it was held in Gifu City while he was ...

*Gunma Prefecture:

Masaaki Osawa Masaaki (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese poet *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese singer-songwriter * ...

* Hiroshima Prefecture:

Hidehiko Yuzaki is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. Early life and education Yuzaki was born October 4, 1965, in Saeki-ku, Hiroshima. He received his B.L. degree from the University of Tokyo in 1990 and his M. ...

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 ...

Harumi Takahashi is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). She served as governor of the prefecture of Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by ar ...

*Hyogo Prefecture:

Toshizō Ido is a Japanese politician and the 48th - 52nd governor of Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan. He became the Governor of Hyōgo Profecture in 2001, a position he held for 5 terms over 20 years. He is a native of Tatsuno, Hyōgo and graduate of the Uni ...

Ibaraki Prefecture is a 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:

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

*Kagawa Prefecture:

Keizō Hamada is a former Japanese politician and finance bureaucrat and a former governor of Kagawa Prefecture in the Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its wide ...

*Kagoshima Prefecture:

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

Kanagawa Prefecture is a 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 ...

Yuji Kuroiwa Yuji or Yu Ji may refer to: * Yūji, a common masculine Japanese given name * Yu Ji (painter), a Qing dynasty painter and calligrapher * Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife) (虞姬; Yuji), the concubine of Xiang Yu, subject of the play ''Farewell My Con ...

*Kochi Prefecture:

Masanao Ozaki is a Japanese politician who has been serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2021. Career He graduated from University of Tokyo with the Bachelor of Economics degree in 1991 and a former bureaucrat of the Ministry of the T ...

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 ...

Ikuo Kabashima is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Kumamoto Prefecture. Kabashima served as governor for 4 terms, between 2008 and 2024. Ikuo Kabashima received a bachelor's and master's degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics from ...

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 ...

Keiji Yamada is a Japanese politician and former Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. A native of Hyōgo Prefecture and 1977 graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1977 and served as the vice governor of Kyoto Prefe ...

*Mie Prefecture: Eikei Suzuki *

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 ...

Yoshihiro Murai is a Japanese politician who has served as governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head o ...

*Miyazaki Prefecture:

Shunji Kōno (born September 8, 1964) is a Japanese politician and the governor of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan. In 2014, he was re-elected for a second term as the Miyazaki governor.Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked 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 ...

Shuichi Abe is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Nagano Prefecture, assuming office in 2010. In 2014, he was re-elected for another four-year term as the governor of the prefecture.Hōdō Nakamura is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Nagasaki Prefecture located in the Kyushu region of Japan. He was re-elected for another four-year term as governor in both 2014 and 2018. Nakamura ran for a fourth term in 2022, but lost the elec ...

*Nara Prefecture: Shōgo Arai *

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 ...

: Hirohiko Izumida (until 27 October); Ryūichi Yoneyama (starting 27 October) *Oita Prefecture:

Katsusada Hirose is a former governor of Ōita Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Hita, Ōita and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry The was a Ministry (government depa ...

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 ...

: Ryuta Ibaragi *

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 ...

: Takeshi Onaga *

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 ...

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

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 ...

Yoshinori Yamaguchi is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Saga Prefecture located in the Kyushu region of Japan. Early life and education Yamaguchi was born on July 1, 1965, at the Iruma Air Base in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture. He is the youngest of ...

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 ( ...

Kiyoshi Ueda is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors for the Saitama at-large district after winning a by-election in 2019. He has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, signaling his opposition to any and all tax i ...

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 ...

Taizō Mikazuki is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Shiga Prefecture, having been elected to the position in July 2014. He previously served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party ...

*Shiname Prefecture: Zenbe Mizoguchi *Shizuoka Prefecture: Heita Kawakatsu *Tochigi Prefecture: Tomikazu Fukuda *Tokushima Prefecture:

Kamon Iizumi is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Tokushima Prefecture. A native of Ikeda, Osaka and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called m ...

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 ...

: ** until 21 June:

Yōichi Masuzoe is a Japanese politician who was elected to the position of governor of Tokyo in 2014 and resigned in June 2016 due to the misuse of public funds. He was previously a member of the Japanese House of Councillors and served as the Minister of He ...

** 21 June-2 August: Tatsumi Ando ** starting 2 August:

Yuriko Koike Yuriko Koike (小池百合子, Koike Yuriko; born 15 July 1952) is a Japanese politician who has served as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016. Previously, she was also served as a member of the House of Councillors from 1992 to 1993, a member o ...

*Tottori Prefecture:

Shinji Hirai is a Japanese politician, the governor of Tottori Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with the B.L. degree in 1984 and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of t ...

*Toyama Prefecture:

Takakazu Ishii is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Toyama Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Toyama, Toyama and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked in the Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry or minist ...

*Wakayama Prefecture:

Yoshinobu Nisaka is a former governor of Wakayama Prefecture 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 fro ...

*Yamagata Prefecture:

Mieko Yoshimura is governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She was elected on January 25, 2009. She defeated the sitting governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Hiroshi Saitō in an upset. A native of Ōe, Yamagata, she worked at a help-wanted advertising company be ...

*Yamaguchi Prefecture: Tsugumasa Muraoka *Yamanashi Prefecture:

Hitoshi Gotō is a Japanese politician who served as the governor of Yamanashi Prefecture. He was formerly a Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He resigned from the Democratic Party and the Diet in Nov ...

Events

January

*Record snowfall and the first

Sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...

tournament win in a decade for a Japanese

rikishi A , or, more colloquially, , is a sumo wrestler. Although used to define all wrestlers participating in sumo wrestling matches, the term is more commonly used to refer to professional wrestlers, employed by the Japan Sumo Association, who par ...

, amid turmoil on the

Nikkei 225 The Nikkei 225, or , more commonly called the ''Nikkei'' or the ''Nikkei index'' (), is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). It is a price-weighted index, operating in the Japanese yen, Japanese Yen (JP¥), and its compone ...

and a political scandal involving Abe's cabinet. (See

Akira Amari is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a former member of the House of Representatives of Japan, lower house. Personal life Amari is a native of Atsugi, Kanagawa, where he attende ...

) *Filmmaker and

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

activist

Ric O'Barry Richard O'Barry (born Richard Barry O'Feldman; October 14, 1939) is an American animal rights activist and former animal trainer who was first recognized in the 1960s for capturing and training the five dolphins that were used in the TV series ...

was refused entry to the country and was held prior to

deportation Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or is under sen ...

February

*February 17 - launch of

Hitomi (satellite) , also known as ASTRO-H and New X-ray Telescope (NeXT), was an X-ray astronomy satellite commissioned by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for studying extremely energetic processes in the Universe. The space observatory was design ...

, ChubuSat-2, ChubuSat-3 and Horyu-4 using a

H-IIA H-IIA (H-2A) is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. These liquid fuel rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit; lunar orbi ...

202 space launch vehicle

March

*March 11 - Japan commemorates the fifth anniversary of the

2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number) * One of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''Eleven'', a 1970 collection of short stories by Patricia Highsmith *''Eleven'' ...

and the subsequent of

Fukushima nuclear disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which ...

. *March 25 -

Kyoto Tamba Kogen Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Administration Like all quasi-national parks in Japan, the park is managed by the local prefectural governments. Kyoto Tamba Kogen Quasi-National Park is administered by Kyoto Prefecture. ...

is established *March 25 - Asagishi, Hanasaki (Hokkaido), Higashi-Oiwake, Kami-Shirataki, Kanehana, Kyū-Shirataki, Ōshida, Shimo-Shirataki,

Tomisato 260px, Chiba Gas LNG storage tank in Tomisato is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 49,914 in 23,753 households and a population density of 930 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . G ...

and Washinosu stations are closed *March 26 - Higashi-Himeji, Nishi-kumamoto, Ishinomakiayumino, Odasakae and

Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...

stations opens *March 26 -

Hokkaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that links up with the Tōhoku Shinkansen in northern Aomori Prefecture in Honshu and continues on into the interior of Hokkaido through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May ...

starts its service from

Shin-Aomori Station is a railway station in the city of Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). Lines Shin-Aomori Station is the northern terminus of the Ōu Main Line ...

Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station is a railway station on the Hakodate Main Line in Hokuto, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The station – rebuilt and very extensively enlarged to serve from March 2016 as the northern terminal of the new ...

*March 26 - Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka opens * March 27 – Kumamoto gubernatorial election: Incumbent

reelected for a third term *March 27 - Democratic Party (Japan) is established

April

*April 2 - Tsuyama Railroad Educational Museum opens *April 16 – A 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

, and kills at least 50 people and 3,129 injured. *April 24 – National Diet, House of Representatives: By-elections in Hokkaido 5th district and in Kyoto 3rd district

May

*May 1–2 - G7 Kitakyushu Energy Ministerial Meeting *May 23 -

Akatsuki (spacecraft) , also known as the Venus Climate Orbiter (VCO) and Planet-C, was a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) space probe tasked with studying the atmosphere of Venus. It was launched aboard an H-IIA 202 rocket on 20 May 2010, but failed to e ...

begins a scientific mission at Venus after a troubled 5-years travel *May 26–27 – The 42nd G7 summit was held on

Kashiko Island is an island in Ago Bay. It is in the city of Shima, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The island was uninhabited until the 1920s when a railway built by Shima Electric Railway (now known as the Shima Line) was constructed to serve as the endpoint of the ...

June

IUPAC The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...

declared the element 113 Ununtrium as

Nihonium Nihonium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Nh and atomic number 113. It is extremely radioactive: its most stable known isotope, nihonium-286, has a half-life of about 10 seconds. In the periodic table, nihonium is a transactini ...

, first element in the periodic table whose name is derived from Japan. * June 5 – Okinawa assembly election: Governor Onaga's anti-base, left-wing supporters expand their majority

July

*July 10 – National Diet, House of Councillors: 24th regular election *July 10 – Kagoshima gubernatorial election *July 23 –

Tatsuo Hirano is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, and was formerly a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was formerly a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). Early life Hirano is a nati ...

, independent member of the House of Councillors from Iwate, joins the Liberal Democratic Party, giving the party the first majority of its own since the 1989 election defeat *July 26 - A

knife attack Stabbing attacks, which have been used as a tactic for thousands of years, became an increasingly common form of terrorism targeting random civilians in the 21st century, in particular during the 2010s and 2020s. Incitement by terrorist groups ...

in Sagamihara kills 19 people and injures up to 50. *July 31 – Tokyo

gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

, assembly by-elections

August

Japan at the 2016 Summer Olympics Japan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1912, Japanese athletes had appeared at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except for two editions; the ...

* August 21: Russell M. Nelson dedicates the Sapporo Japan Temple, the 151st LDS temple and third LDS temple in Japan.

September

* July to September - According to Japan National Police Agency official confirmed report, 48 hospitalized patients were die, administer disinfectant liquid giving for hospitalized patients in hospital,

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

. On 7 July 2018, a nurse of the main criminal detained and confessed, according to JNPA.

October

* October 16 – Niigata gubernatorial election * October 21 - A Richer Scale 6.2 earthquake, with aftershocks in

Kurayoshi 270px, Kurayoshi City Hall 270px, Kurayoshi Utsubuki-Tamagawa Historic Preservation District 270px, View from Utsubuki Castle ruins is a city located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 44 ...

Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...

, according to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency official confirmed report, 30 persons were wounded. * October 23 – Okayama gubernatorial election * October 23 – Toyama gubernatorial election * October 23 – National Diet, House of Representatives: By-elections in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, 6th district and in

, 10th district * October 25 - Two explosions in a park in the

ese city of

Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 513,584, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...

Tochigi Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,897,649 (1 June 2023) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi ...

, kill at least one person and injure three others. Local media report that a 72-year-old ex-

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

officer is responsible for the blasts. A fire the same day destroyed the suspect's house
(''The Guardian'')(BBC)

November

* November 20 – Tochigi gubernatorial election

December

5th: Abe declares his historic plan to visit

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

* December 18 - A bottoming net fishing boat ''Daifuku Maru'' capsized off coast

Matsue is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. , the city had an estimated population of 196,748 in 91287 households and a population density of 340 persons per km². The total area of ...

Shimane Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...

, according to Japan Coast Guard official confirmed report, nine people lost to lives. * December 22 - A massive fire in

Itoigawa is a Cities of Japan, city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 38,224 living in 17,028 households, and a population density of 51 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Itoigawa ...

, according to Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, 17 person wounded. :ja:糸魚川市大規模火災 (Japanese language) Retrieved date on March 21, 2016

The Nobel Prize

Yoshinori Ohsumi is a Japanese cell biologist specializing in autophagy, the process that cells use to destroy and recycle cellular components. Ohsumi is a professor at Institute of Science Tokyo's Institute of Innovative Research.Yoshinori Ohsumi's He recei ...

: 2016

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...

winner.

Culture

Arts and entertainment

List of 2016 box office number-one films in Japan The following is a list of 2016 box office number-one films in Japan. When the number-one film in gross is not the same as the number-one film in admissions, both are listed. Number-one films References See also

*List of Japanese films ...

*March 4 - 39th Japan Academy Prize *March 12 -

10th Seiyu Awards The 10th Seiyu Awards was held on March 12, 2016 at the JOQR Media Plus Hall in Minato, Tokyo. First Group The winners of the first group were announced on the ceremony day. 2nd Group The winners of the Merit/Achievement Awards, the Synergy A ...

Arts and entertainment

* 2016 in anime *

2016 in Japanese music The year 2016 in Japanese music. Events *67th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen Number-ones * Oricon number-one albums * Oricon number-one singles * Hot 100 number-one singles Best-sellers Artists The following is a list of the 5 best-selling music artis ...

2016 in Japanese television Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number) *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen * ''Sixteen ...

*List of Japanese films ...

List of Japanese films of 2016 A list of Japanese films that were first released in 2016. Highest-grossing films The following is a list of the 10 highest-grossing Japanese films at the Japanese box office during 2016. Film releases January – March April - June ...

Sports

* October 9 –

2016 Formula One World Championship The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 70th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA)'s Formula One motor racing. It featured the 67th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula O ...

is held at

2016 Japanese Grand Prix The 2016 Japanese Grand Prix (formally known as the 2016 Formula 1 Emirates Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 9 October 2016 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Mie, Japan. The race marked the 42nd running of the J ...

* October 16 –

2016 MotoGP World Championship The 2016 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 68th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Season summary Jorge Lorenzo was the defending world champion, having secured his third MotoGP title and fifth overall Ch ...

is held at 2016 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix *

2016 F4 Japanese Championship The 2016 F4 Japanese Championship season was the second season of the F4 Japanese Championship. It began on 9 April in Okayama and finished on 13 November on Twin Ring Motegi after fourteen races held across six rounds. Teams and drivers Race ...

* 2016 Japanese Formula 3 Championship * 2016 Super Formula Championship *

2016 Super GT Series The 2016 Autobacs Super GT Series was the twenty-fourth season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship including the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era, and the twelfth season under the name Super GT. It was th ...

2016 FIFA Club World Cup The 2016 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2016 presented by Alibaba YunOS Auto for sponsorship reasons) was the 13th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club association footbal ...

(Japan) *

2016 in Japanese football Japanese football in 2016 saw a dynamic mix of league competitions, cup tournaments, and international matches that highlighted the sport’s continued development in the country. The J1 League maintained its status as the premier domestic competi ...

2016 J1 League The 2016 Meiji Yasuda J1 League (2016 明治安田生命J1リーグ) season was the 51st season of top-flight football in Japan and the 24th since the establishment of the J.League in 1992. This was second season of J1 League as renamed from J. ...

2016 J2 League The 2016 Meiji Yasuda J2 League (2016 明治安田生命J2リーグ) season was the 45th season of second-tier club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J2 League. Clubs Omiya Ardija have stayed in the second divisio ...

2016 J3 League The 2016 Meiji Yasuda J3 League (2016 明治安田生命J3リーグ) was the 20th season of the third tier in Japanese football, and the 3rd season of the professional J3 League. Clubs To participate, a club must have held an associate members ...

2016 Japan Football League The was the third season of the nationwide fourth tier of Japanese football, and the 18th season since the establishment of Japan Football League. Clubs Sixteen clubs participated in this season of Japan Football League. The list was announced ...

2016 Japanese Regional Leagues The 2016 Japanese Regional Leagues were a competition between parallel association football leagues ranking at the bottom of the Japan Football League. Champions list ;Qualified for the 40th Promotion Regional Series: Hokkaido Tohoku Divis ...

* 2016 Japanese Super Cup *

2016 Emperor's Cup The was the 2016 edition of the annual Japanese national cup tournament, which was held from 27 August 2016 to its final on 1 January 2017. Kashima Antlers won their fifth title after a 2–1 defeat of Kawasaki Frontale in the final after extra ...

* 2016 J.League Cup

Deaths

January

February

March

April

*April 3 –

Kōji Wada was a Japanese pop singer. He was best known for performing theme songs for several installments of the ''Digimon'' anime television series, including his recording debut in 1999 with his first and most famous single, " Butter-Fly", the theme s ...

, rock singer (b.

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

)

May

*May 5 –

Isao Tomita , often known simply as Tomita, was a Japanese composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music, and as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements. In addition to creating note-by-note realiza ...

, composer (b.

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) *May 17 –

Yūko Mizutani was a Japanese actress, voice actress, narrator and singer from Ama District, Aichi. Throughout her career, she worked with Production Baobab, and was working with Aoni Production at the time of her death. Mizutani was best known for her an ...

, voice actress (b.

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

)

June

*June 21 –

Kunio Hatoyama was a Japanese politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications under Prime Ministers Shinzō Abe and Yasuo Fukuda until 12 June 2009. Biography Kunio Hatoyama was born in Tokyo in 1948. He was a son of Yasuko Hatoya ...

, politician (b.

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

)

July

*July 31 –

Chiyonofuji Mitsugu , born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th ''yokozuna'' of the sport. Chiyonofuji was considered one of the greatest ''yokozuna'' in sumo's history, winning 31 tournament championships ('' yūshō'') at the top division (' ...

, sumo wrestler (b.

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

)

August

September

October

*October 20 –

Junko Tabei was a Japanese mountaineer, author, and teacher. She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest and ascend the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peak on every continent. Tabei wrote seven books, organized environmental project ...

, mountaineer (b.

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

) *October 23 –

Mikijirō Hira was a Japanese actor. Starting as a stage actor in the 1950s, he also worked in film and television and was active until the time of his death. From the 1970s he starred in several of Yukio Ninagawa's productions, including an acclaimed role a ...

, actor (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 ...

) *October 27 –

Takahito, Prince Mikasa was a Japanese prince, the youngest of the four sons of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako). He was their last surviving child. His eldest brother was Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). After serving as a junior cavalry officer in ...

, brother of Emperor Shōwa (b.

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 * ...

)

November

* November 3 – Jiang Ge, murder victim (b.

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

) * November 29 – , announcer (b.

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

)

December

*December 29 – Jinpachi Nezu, actor (b.

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2016 In Japan

Years of the 21st century in Japan

2010s in Japan