Events in the year 2021 in Japan. The second year was largely defined by

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

that caused the national economy to go into recession, and would continue until October 1, 2021 (when the fourth

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

ends). Politically,

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 ...

leader Fumio Kishida was officially elected as 100th

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

on October 4, 2021 after winning a majority of votes in both

houses of parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

. The new cabinet members under Kishida, who succeeds

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 ...

than one year of

Shinzo 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 (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

, are likely due to be announced later in the day.

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 ...

Naruhito Naruhito (born 23 February 1960) is Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne following 2019 Japanese imperial transition, the abdication of his father, Akihito, on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era. He is the 126th monarch, ...

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 ...

(

Liberal Democratic Liberal democracy, also called Western-style democracy, or substantive democracy, is a form of government that combines the organization of a democracy with ideas of liberal political philosophy. Common elements within a liberal democracy are: ...

) (until October 4) ** Fumio Kishida (Liberal Democratic) (starting October 4) * Chief Cabinet Secretary ** Katsunobu Katō (Liberal Democratic) (until October 4) **

Hirokazu Matsuno is a Japanese politician who served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary from October 2021 until December 2023. He is serving in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Matsuno does not believe that the 1923 Kantō ...

(Liberal Democratic) (starting October 4) *

Chief Justice of Japan The is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Japan and is the head of the judicial branch of the Japanese government. The Chief Justice is ceremonially appointed by the Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch a ...

Naoto Ōtani is a Japanese lawyer who served as the 19th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan from 2018 to 2022. Early life and education Ōtani was born in Akabira, Hokkaido, Japan. He graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law in 1975 ...

* Speaker of the House of Representatives **

Tadamori Ōshima is a former Japanese politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he previously served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and ...

(Liberal Democratic) (until October 14) **

Hiroyuki Hosoda was a Japanese politician who served as the speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan from November 2021 to October 2023. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1990, and served as Chief Cabinet Secretary in Junichiro Koi ...

(Liberal Democratic) (starting November 10) *

President of the House of Councillors The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors, the upper house of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Japan), Speaker of the House of Representatives, the president is also the head of the Governme ...

Akiko Santō is a Japanese politician who served as President of the House of Councillors from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she was previously the vice president of the House of Councillors from 2007 to 2010. Background and care ...

(Liberal Democratic)

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:

Toshihito Kumagai is a Japanese politician who has served as governor of Chiba Prefecture since 2021. Governor Kumagai was re-elected as the governor of Chiba Prefecture for a second term on the 16th of March 2025. Early life and education Kumagai was born is T ...

*Ehime Prefecture: Tokihiro Nakamura *Fukui Prefecture: Tatsuji Sugimoto *Fukuoka Prefecture:

Seitaro Hattori is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Fukuoka Prefecture since 2021. Early life and education Hattori was born on September 11, 1954 in Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture. He graduated elementary at Kitakyushu Municip ...

*Fukushima Prefecture: Masao Uchibori *Gifu Prefecture: Hajime Furuta *Gunma Prefecture:

Ichita Yamamoto is a Japanese politician who has been the governor of Gunma Prefecture since July 2019. He was a neoconservative member of the House of Councillors in Japan. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served as the Minister of State for Oki ...

* Hiroshima Prefecture: Hidehiko Yuzaki *

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 ...

Naomichi Suzuki is a Japanese politician who currently serves as Governor of Hokkaidō. He previously served as mayor of Yūbari city for two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2019. He had also served in Regional Sovereignty Strategy Office of Cabinet Office ...

*Hyogo Prefecture: Motohiko Saitō *

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, ...

: Kazuhiko Ōigawa * Ishikawa: Masanori Tanimoto *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 *Kagoshima Prefecture: Kōichi Shiota *

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 ...

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 *Kochi Prefecture:

Seiji Hamada is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Kōchi Prefecture since 2019. Biography Hamada was born on January 23, 1963 in then Nakamura (now Shimanto), Kōchi Prefecture. He graduated from Tosa Middle School in 1978. He grad ...

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 ...

Takatoshi Nishiwaki is a Japanese politician and the current Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. Governor of Kyoto Nishiwaki won the 2018 Kyoto gubernatorial election, 2018 gubernatorial election, defeating his sole opponent Kazuhito Fukuyama, with 55.90% of the vote. ...

*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 *

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 ...

: Hideyo Hanazumi *Oita Prefecture: Katsusada Hirose *

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 ...

Denny Tamaki is a Japanese politician who has served as the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture since 2018. Tamaki was a member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly for Okinawa City from 2002 to 2005 and became the first Amerasian member of the Japanese Hous ...

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 *

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 *

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 ( ...

Motohiro Ōno is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Saitama Prefecture in Japan. He assumed office replacing Kiyoshi Ueda is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors for the Saitama at-large district ...

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 *Shiname Prefecture: Tatsuya Maruyama *Shizuoka Prefecture: Heita Kawakatsu *Tochigi Prefecture: Tomikazu Fukuda *Tokushima Prefecture: Kamon Iizumi *Tokyo Prefecture:

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 *Toyama Prefecture:

Hachiro Nitta Hachiro Nitta may refer to: * Nitta Hachirō (1908–1989), Japanese singer * Hachiro Nitta (politician) (born 1958), Japanese politician, Governor of Toyama Prefecture {{hndis, Nitta, Hachiro ...

*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 *Yamaguchi Prefecture: Tsugumasa Muraoka *Yamanashi Prefecture:

Kotaro Nagasaki is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Tokyo and graduate of the University of Tokyo he joined the Ministry of Finance in 1991 ...

Ongoing events

(Until 1 October 2021) * Japan–South Korea trade dispute

Events by month

January

* January 1 –

and

delivered 2021 New Year's message to bring the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

under control and pledged to host the postponed

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. * January 2 ** The governors of Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures considered to declare another state of emergency over COVID-19 resurgence, Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura who in charge of COVID-19 response. ** The world's oldest person,

Kane Tanaka was a Japanese supercentenarian who, until her death at the age of , was the world's oldest verified living person, following the death of Chiyo Miyako on 22 July 2018. She is the oldest verified Japanese person and the second-oldest verifi ...

celebrated her 118th birthday in southwestern Japan on Saturday. * January 4 ** 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 ...

in Tokyo was off 0.4% at 27,344.87 after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the government is considering declaring a state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures due to surging virus caseloads. ** The government considered declaring a nationwide state of emergency over COVID-19 resurgence, the countdown clock for the postponed Tokyo Olympics hit 200 days to go. * January 5 ** Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to declare another state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures as the COVID-19 resurgence on Thursday, while the government reported more than 4,900 cases. ** New car sales in Japan slumped 11.5% in 2020 from a year earlier amid the pandemic, marking the largest fall in nine years, data from industry bodies showed Tuesday. While tuna gone cut price ¥20 million at Tokyo's

Toyosu Market The is a wholesale market in Tokyo, located in the Toyosu area of the Kōtō, Tokyo, Kōtō ward. There are two markets for seafood, one for general wholesale and one for bidding, and one market for fruits and vegetables, with each in its own bu ...

during New Year auction. ** The Constitutional Democrats,

Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...

, and the

Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

prepared to form a pacifist coalition, despite to the anti- Suga Cabinet protests and riots. After the Japanese government warned about a new national lockdown in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

February

* February 13 – 2021 Fukushima earthquake

March

* March 11 – The 10th 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'' ...

. * March 20 - March 2021 Miyagi earthquake * March 25 – The 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay restarted in

Fukushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...

April

* April 13 – The decision to dump radioactive water of the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years finally obtains the approval of the Japanese cabinet. * April 19 –

Rockfish Rockfish is a common term for several species of fish, referring to their tendency to hide among rocks. The name rockfish is used for many kinds of fish used for food. This common name belongs to several groups that are not closely related, and ca ...

in Fukushima is banned from export after detecting

caesium Caesium (IUPAC spelling; also spelled cesium in American English) is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cs and atomic number 55. It is a soft, silvery-golden alkali metal with a melting point of , which makes it one of only f ...

over legal limit, likely caused by the discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. This is the first ban since the lifting of ban on all Fukushima fish in February 2020.

May

* May 1 – A F2 scale tornado hit houses, building, utility polls and tea plantations in Makinohara,

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

. According to a local government official confirmed report, three persons were lightly injured and 102 houses and buildings were damaged. * May 27 – According to a

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard responsible for the protection of the Geography of Japan#Composition, topography and geography, coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It consists of about ...

official confirmed report, a

chemical tanker A chemical tanker is a type of tanker (ship), tanker ship designed to transport chemicals in bulk. As defined in MARPOL Annex II, chemical tanker means a ship constructed or adapted for carrying in bulk any liquid product listed in chapter 17 o ...

''Ulsan Pioneer'' and cargo ship ''Byakko'' (白虎) collided in Kurushima strait, Seto Island Sea,

Ehime Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

. Nine persons were rescued, and there were three fatalities.

July

*July 3 –

2021 Atami landslide The Atami landslide was a natural disaster which hit the city of Atami on 3 July 2021. It was caused by heavy rainfall which resulted in significant damage to the community of Atami in Japan. The debris flow by the landslide resulted in life lost ...

*July 23 **

: The 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony takes place at the

Japan National Stadium The Japan National Stadium, officially the , alternatively , and a.k.a. formerly is a multi-purpose stadium used mostly for association football in Kasumigaokamachi, Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The facility served as the main stadi ...

. **

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

-winning Japanese

theoretical physicist Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experi ...

Toshihide Maskawa was a Japanese theoretical physicist known for his work on CP-violation who was awarded one quarter 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 fam ...

died of

oral cancer Oral cancer, also known as oral cavity cancer, tongue cancer or mouth cancer, is a cancer of the lining of the lips, mouth, or upper throat. In the mouth, it most commonly starts as a painless red or white patch, that thickens, gets ulcerated ...

at aged 81.

August

*August 6 – According to a Japan National Police Agency report, a thirty-six years old suspect attacked passengers with a knife on a

commuter train Commuter rail or suburban rail is a passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Commuter rail systems can use locomotive-hauled tr ...

on Odakyu Line,

Setagaya is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orchid, and its tree is the '' Ze ...

, Tokyo. He was detained by local police on the same day and 10 passengers were wounded. It is considered a terrorist attack. *August 11 to 19 – 2021 August Japan flood, a torrential massive rain and

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...

hit

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

Kyushu Island is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional ...

, and caused a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

to hit around Kyushu,

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

, resulting in 13 deaths and 17 injuries, according to a Japan

Fire and Disaster Management Agency The (FDMA) is an external agency attached to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan. Background The Fire and Disaster Management Agency was established through article 3 paragraph 2 of the 1948 National Government Organizat ...

official confirmed report. *August 12 – The 2020 Summer Paralympics torch relay started nationwide. *August 13 – According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, a largest volcano eruption hit in Fukutoku-Okanoba,

Bonin Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , is a list of islands of Japan, Japanese archipelago of over 30 subtropical and Island#Tropical islands, tropical islands located around SSE of Tokyo and northwest of Guam. The group as a whole has a total ...

. According to Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial and Science general manager Kazuhiro Ishimura said on 23 October, the volcano ash height estimate on 16,000 to 19,000 meters (52,493 to 62,335 foot) and 100 million cubic square meters ash volume, second largest volume ash eruption in territory of Japan's history. *August 24 ** Senior member 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 ...

Satoru Nomura is a Japanese former Yakuza from Fukuoka Prefecture. He is the fifth president of the yakuza group Kudo-kai. Early life Nomura was born in 1946 as the sixth and youngest child in a rich peasant family. As a teenager, he was addicted to gambli ...

, is

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

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. ...

, for ordering four assaults, one of which was deadly. Nomura has denied participating in the crimes. It is the first time that a senior member of Japan's Yakuza has been sentenced to death
(BBC)
** The 2020 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony takes place at the

September

*September 1 – The Digital Agency is launched to speed up digitalisation of governmental services. *September 3 – Prime Minister Suga announced he will not stand in the

2021 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election The 2021 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election was held on 29 September 2021 to elect the next President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and Prime Minister of Japan. Fumio Kish ...

. *September 26 – According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, a height of 5,400 meters (17,700 foot) eruption records on

Suwanosejima is one of the Tokara Islands, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. The island covers 27.66 km² in area and has a population of 48 people. Although the island has an airport, there are no regularly scheduled services, and access is normall ...

Tokara Islands The is an archipelago in the Nansei Islands, and are part of the Satsunan Islands, which is in turn part of the Ryukyu Archipelago. The chain consists of twelve small islands located between Yakushima and Amami-Oshima. The islands have a total ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...

, where highest height of observation history. *September 29 – Fumio Kishida, the foreign minister of outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, is elected the

's new president, paving the way for him to be Japan's next leader. *September 30 – Despite COVID-19 Delta cases continued to fall, Japan lifted 4th and final state of emergency up as the country ahead of the endemic phase by one month and one day later.

October

*October 1 – Japan becoming the first country, who transition to the living with COVID-19 endemic phase in the future. *October 3 – According to Wakayama mayor Masahiro Obana, a Musota Waterpipe Bridge suddenly severely deteriorated and damaged across Kino River, where 138,000 persons (60,000 households) suspend supply and not be possible to resume water supply function of the aqueduct and resident until December 2021. *October 4 – Fumio Kishida becomes 100th

, with a new Cabinet mostly made up of newcomers formed. General election for 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 ...

will also be held on October 31. 2021-10-07_Chiba_earthquake_intensity_map

*October 7 – 2021 Chiba earthquake. According to USGS report, a Richer Scale 5.9 earthquake hit around

Tokyo Metropolitan Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...

, according to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency official confirmed report, 49 persons were wounded, due affective moderate quake. *October 22 – Princess Mako of Akishino celebrates her last royal birthday, before turning bourgeois out of love. *October 31 **According to Japan National Police Agency official confirmed report, A twenty-four years old suspected to knife attack to passengers and arson, during run to Hachioji bound commuter train, Keio Line, Chofu,

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 ...

, total 17 passengers injures. **

2021 Japanese general election General elections were held in Japan on 31 October 2021, as required by the Constitution of Japan, constitution. Voting took place in all List of districts of the House of Representatives of Japan, constituencies in order to elect List of member ...

was held.

November

*November 1 – A popular idol group, V6 disbands. *November 10 - Kishida, president of the Liberal Democratic Party is appointed to the 101st prime minister by Emperor Naruhito and his second cabinet is formed, following a landslide victory for

Komeito , formerly New Komeito (NKP) and commonly referred to as simply Komei, is a political party in Japan founded by the leader of Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda, in 1964. It is generally considered centrist and socially conservative. Since 2012, i ...

coalition in the general election. *November 30, 2021 to May 7, 2023 – Japan has confirmed the first case of COVID-19 Omicron variant, found from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. As of May 7, 2023, Japan has reported 56,500 Omicron-related deaths, a lowest mortality toll, than compared to wealthy countries.

December

*December 1 –

Aiko, Princess Toshi is a member of the Imperial House of Japan. She is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan. Following her birth, the ongoing Japanese imperial succession debate had resulted in some politicians holding a favorable vi ...

(only child of Emperor Naruhito and

Empress Masako is Empress of Japan as the wife of Emperor Naruhito. Born in Tokyo, Masako was educated at Belmont High School in Massachusetts before attending Harvard College, earning a B.A., ''magna cum laude'', in economics. She also studied law at t ...

) comes of age at 20 and became adult. She receives Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Precious Crown The is a Japanese order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Since the Order of the Rising Sun at that time was an Order for men, it was established as an Order for women. Originally the order had five classes, but on Apr ...

from her father. *December 17 – 2021 Osaka building fire *December 21 – Three death-row inmates were

hanged Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

, first executions taken place in 2 years. *December 25 – A first dual-mode vehicle service, Awa-Kainan Station to

Cape Muroto is a headland at the southeastern tip of the Japanese island of Shikoku, in the city of Muroto, Kōchi Prefecture. Extending into the Pacific Ocean and situated in within Muroto-Anan Kaigan Quasi-National Park, the cape has been designated ...

, via Kannoura Station,

Asatō Line The is a Japanese railway line connecting Kaifu Station, Kaiyō, Tokushima, Kaiyō and Kannoura Station, Tōyō, Kōchi, Tōyō. Together with JR Shikoku's Mugi Line, it has the official nickname . This is the only railway line operated by . Th ...

, Shikoku Island, for regular operation start in the world during the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

period, according to Awa Searide Railway official confirmed report. *December 31 – According to official confirmed report, Japanese New Year has first returned after the first 20 months of COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020 and September 2021. However, a many Japanese people should wear a face masks and remain celebrated new year's eve after midnight.

The Nobel Prize

Syukuro Manabe is a Japanese– American physicist, meteorologist, and climatologist, who pioneered the use of computers to simulate global climate change and natural climate variations. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Klaus Has ...

: 2021

Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...

winner.

Arts and entertainment

* 2021 in anime *

2021 in Japanese music The year 2021 in Japanese music. Debuting Debuting groups * ≠Me * AB6IX * ASP (Japanese group), ASP * Be First * Enhypen * Ho6la * INI (Japanese boy group), INI * Itzy * Loona * Naniwa Danshi * NIK (band), NIK * Rocket Punch * Treasure (band), ...

2021 in Japanese television Below is a list of events affecting Japanese television in 2021. Events Ongoing New series and returning shows Ending Sports Special events and milestone episodes Deaths See also * 2021 in British television (Brexit) ...

* List of 2021 box office number-one films in Japan * List of Japanese films of 2021

Sports

(Japan) * 2021 F4 Japanese Championship * 2021 Super Formula Championship *

2021 Super Formula Lights The 2021 Super Formula Lights Championship was the second Super Formula Lights, Super Formula Lights Championship season, after the Japanese Formula 3 Championship was rebranded following the end of the 2019 season. It featured drivers competing in ...

* 2021 Super GT Series * 2021 in Japanese football *

2021 J1 League The 2021 J1 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 29th season of the J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. This was seventh season of J1 League as re ...

2021 J2 League The 2021 J2 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 23rd season of J2 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1999. The league started on 27 February 2021 and ended ...

* 2021 J3 League * 2021 Japan Football League *

2021 Japanese Regional Leagues The 2022 Japanese Regional Leagues, the fifth tier of the Japanese association football league system, held their regular season 2021, marking the 56th edition Japanese Regional Leagues. This edition of the Regional Leagues featured 144 teams divi ...

* 2021 Japanese Super Cup *

2021 Emperor's Cup The 2021 Emperor's Cup (Emperor's Cup JFA 101st Japan Football Championship (Japanese: 天皇杯 JFA 第101回全日本サッカー選手権大会)) was the 101st annual Japanese national football cup tournament, which began on 22 May 2021 and end ...

* 2021 J.League Cup

Deaths

In the third year of Reiwa Memoriam despite Japanese

demographic Demography () is the statistics, statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration. Demographic analy ...

and aging crisis, and with

in the country, among top 20 famous

Japanese people are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago. Japanese people constitute 97.4% of the population of the country of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 125 million people are of Japanese descent, making them list of contempora ...

who passed away peacefully due to illness and old age, including Seizō Fukumoto, Tochinoumi Teruyoshi, Shūichirō Moriyama,

Isamu Akasaki was a Japanese engineer and physicist, specializing in the field of semiconductor technology and Nobel Prize laureate, best known for inventing the bright gallium nitride (GaN) p-n junction blue LED in 1989 and subsequently the high-brightness G ...

, Masakazu Tamura, Osamu Kobayashi,

Shunsuke Kikuchi was a Japanese composer who was active from the early 1960s until 2017. He specialized in incidental music for media such as television and film. Kikuchi was regarded as one of Japan's most highly demanded film and TV composers, working princi ...

, Takashi Tachibana,

Ei-ichi Negishi was a Japanese chemist who was best known for his discovery of the Negishi coupling. He spent most of his career at Purdue University in the United States, where he was the Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor and the director of the Negi ...

, Takeshi Terauchi,

, Jerry Fujio, Shinichiro Sawai,

Wataru Takeshita was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kakeya, Shimane and graduate of Keio University he was elected for the first time ...

Takao Saito was a Japanese manga artist, although he rejected the term and considered his work gekiga. He was best known for '' Golgo 13'', which has been serialized in '' Big Comic'' since 1968, making it the oldest manga still in publication. ''Golgo 1 ...

Koichi Sugiyama was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing for the ''Dragon Quest'' franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, television shows, and pop songs. Classically trained, Sugiyama was c ...

Mayumi Moriyama was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Early life and education Moriyama was born in Tokyo on 7 November 1927. Her father was a businessman, who ...

, Toshihiro Iijima, and Princess Kiko's father Tatsuhiko Kawashima. While unfortunately, among other famous Japanese people who died of tragic events, including Toshiro Kandagawa,

Kōbō Kenichi Kōbō Kenichi (born as Kenichi Mineyama; August 18, 1973 – July 2, 2021) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 9. Career Kōbō made his professional debut in March 1989 at the age of 15. He worked his way quickly ...

, and

Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later to an international audience. Born in Fukuo ...

from COVID-19 infections, and

Sayaka Kanda , also known professionally as Sayaka, Lily, and , was a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She was the only child of actor Masaki Kanda and pop singer Seiko Matsuda. Early life Kanda was born at Tokyo Teishin Hospital in Chiyoda, Tokyo. She ...

from

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

January

*January 1 – Seizō Fukumoto, actor (b. 1943) *January 29 – Tochinoumi Teruyoshi, sumo wrestler (b. 1938)

February

*February 8 – Shūichirō Moriyama, actor (b. 1934) *February 17 –

Tetsurō Sagawa was a Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Tateyama, Chiba. He was a graduate of Waseda University. Filmography Film *''Dai Ninjutsu Eiga: Watari'' (Nagato Fujibayashi) *''Samurai Banners, Fūrinkazan'' (Akiyama Nobutomo, ...

, actor (b. 1937) *February 25 – Masako Sugaya, voice actress (b. 1937)

March

*March 1 – Kirinji Kazuharu, sumo wrestler (b. 1953) *March 15 –

Yasuo Ōtsuka was a Japanese animator who worked with Toei Animation, Nippon Animation, TMS Entertainment, and Studio Ghibli. He was considered to be one of Japan's foremost animators, and he was an important mentor to both Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. ...

, animator (b. 1931) *March 24 **

Toshihiko Koga was a Japanese judoka, 9th degree black belt and Olympic champion who competed in the –71 kg and –78 kg divisions. Koga is regarded as having perhaps the greatest ippon seoi nage ever. He died of cancer on 24 March 2021 at the ag ...

, judoka (b. 1967) ** Kunie Tanaka, actor (b. 1932)

April

*April 1 –

, engineer (b. 1929) *April 3 – Masakazu Tamura, actor (b. 1943) *April 4 – Sugako Hashida, screen writer (b. 1925) *April 11 –

Daisuke Ryu Daisuke Ryu (Japanese: 隆大介, Korean: 장명남, Jang Myeong-nam, hanja: 張明男; 14 January 1957 – 11 April 2021) was a Japanese actor of Korean descent. He won the Japanese "best new actor" Blue Ribbon Award for his performance as the ...

, actor (b. 1957) *April 17 – Osamu Kobayashi, illustrator (b. 1964) *April 24 –

, composer (b. 1931) *April 25 – Toshiro Kandagawa, chef (b. 1939) *April 30 – Takashi Tachibana, journalist (b. 1940)

May

*May 6 – Kentaro Miura, manga artist (b. 1966) *May 30 –

Asei Kobayashi was a Japanese composer. He was also a lyricist, actor, and ''multi-tarento''. He could also sing songs and advertisement songs. Kobayashi was represented by Astro Music. He was the director of the Japan Songwriters Association (J-scat). Kobaya ...

, composer (b. 1932)

June

*June 6 –

, chemist *June 18 – Takeshi Terauchi, guitarist (b. 1939) *June 21 – Nobuo Hara, jazz saxophonist (b. 1926) *June 30 – Yasunori Oshima, baseball player (b. 1950)

July

*July 2 –

, sumo wrestler (b. 1973) *July 16 – Masatoshi Sakai, Japanese record producer (b. 1935) *July 22 – Zentaro Watanabe, musician (b. 1963) *July 23 –

, theoretical physicist (b. 1940) *July 28 – Satsuki Eda, politician (b. 1941) *July 31 - Sanpei Satō, cartoonist (b. 1929)

August

*August 2 – Hideki Hosaka, professional wrestler (b. 1971) *August 3 – Yūsuke Kinoshita, baseball player (b. 1993) *August 14 – Jerry Fujio, singer (b. 1940) *August 16 – Hiroshi Sakagami, author (b. 1936) *August 19 –

, actor (b. 1939)

September

*September 3 – Shinichiro Sawai, film director (b. 1938) *September 17 –

, politician (b. 1946) *September 24 –

, manga artist (b. 1936) *September 30 –

, composer (b. 1931)

October

*October 12 – Chie Nakane, anthropologist (b.

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

) *October 14 –

, politician and former Chief Cabinet Secretary (b.

) *October 17 ** Toshihiro Iijima, television producer (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 ...

) ** Gorō Maeda, comedian(b. 1942)

November

*November 3 –

Yasuro Kikuchi was a Japanese amateur Go (game), Go List of Go players, player. Biography Kikuchi founded the prestigious ''Ryokusei Academy'' in 1975, which has become one of the most prolific Go schools in Japan. Some of the most famous players to come out o ...

, go player (b. 1929) *November 4 – Tatsuhiko Kawashima, the father of princess Kawashima Kiko (b. 1940). *November 8 – Kazuko Hosoki, fortune teller (b. 1938) *November 9 – Jakucho Setouchi, Buddhist nun (b. 1922) *November 12 –

Takeshi Koba was a professional baseball player and manager in Japan, and the manager of Tokyo International University's baseball team. Early life Because baseball was popular in the city, Koba started playing it when he was in primary school. Soon he dre ...

, baseball player (b. 1936) *November 13 –

Emi Wada Emi Wada (和田惠美, ''Wada Emi'', 18 March 1937 – 13 November 2021) was a Japanese costume designer who worked extensively in stage, screen, and ballet productions. She was born in Kyoto, and attended Kyoto City University of Arts before ...

, costume designer (b. 1937) *November 28 – Nakamura Kichiemon II, kabuki actor (b. 1944)

December

*December 3 –

Jōji Yanami was a Japanese actor, Voice acting in Japan, voice actor and narrator who was affiliated with Aoni Production. Some of his major voice roles included the ''Dragon Ball'' anime series, which he narrated and voiced Dr. Briefs, Kaiō-sama ( King ...

, voice actor (b. 1931) *December 8 – Mitsutoshi Furuya, manga artist (b. 1936) *December 18 –

, actress and singer (b.

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2020s in Japan Years of the 21st century in Japan

Incumbents

Governors

Ongoing events

Events by month

January

February

March

April

May

July

August

September

October

November

December

The Nobel Prize

Arts and entertainment

Sports

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See also

Country overviews

Related timelines for current period

References

External links