1949 in Japan
Encyclopedia
Events in the year 1949 in Japan
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Incumbents
- EmperorEmperor of JapanThe Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
: HirohitoHirohito, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to... - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of JapanThe is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
: Shigeru YoshidaShigeru Yoshida, KCVO was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954.-Early life:... - Supreme Commander Allied Powers: Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
Events
- May 16: Opening of TokyoTokyo Stock ExchangeThe , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
, Osaka and NagoyaNagoya Stock ExchangeNagoya Stock Exchange is a stock trading market in Nagoya, Japan. It is Japan's third largest exchange, behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Securities Exchange.- History :...
Stock Exchanges. - May 25: Ministry of International Trade and IndustryMinistry of International Trade and IndustryThe Ministry of International Trade and Industry was one of the most powerful agencies of the Government of Japan. At the height of its influence, it effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and directing investment...
formed. - June 1: Japanese National RailwaysJapanese National Railways, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
become independent of the Ministry of Transportation. - September 15: First limited express trains begin operation on JNR lines.
- October: Hideki YukawaHideki Yukawané , was a Japanese theoretical physicist and the first Japanese Nobel laureate.-Biography:Yukawa was born in Tokyo and grew up in Kyoto. In 1929, after receiving his degree from Kyoto Imperial University, he stayed on as a lecturer for four years. After graduation, he was interested in...
becomes the first Japanese winner of a Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
.
Births
- January 12: Haruki MurakamiHaruki Murakamiis a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
, author - January 15: Rumi TamaRumi Tamaaka is a Japanese film director, actress, and screenwriter, known for her work in the pink film genre. After making her acting debut in 1965, she appeared in independent pink films throughout the rest of the decade, often for director Akitaka Kimata, whom she would later marry, and his son Seiji...
, film director, actress, and screenwriter - January 24: Rihoko YoshidaRihoko Yoshidais a Japanese voice actress. Among her most noteworthy roles are Megu-chan in Majokko Megu-chan, Monsley in Future Boy Conan, Maria Grace Fleed in UFO Robo Grendizer, Michiru in Getter Robo, Klara in Heidi, Girl of the Alps, Rosalie Lamorliere in The Rose of Versailles, Miwa Uzuki in Steel Jeeg, ...
, voice actress - January 28: Masachika IchimuraMasachika Ichimurais a Japanese voice actor and musical singer. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama. He is married to singer Ryoko Shinohara.-Movies:*Pokémon: The First Movie *The Nightmare Before Christmas...
, voice actor and musical singer - March 3: Hiroshi KajikawaHiroshi Kajikawais a former archer who, at his peak, represented Japan in the 1972 Munich Olympics. He previously held the 90 meter world record in the FITA Gents Round....
, archer - March 23: Aruno TaharaAruno Taharais a Japanese voice actor.-Television Animation:*Mahōjin Guru Guru *Dai no Daibouken *Death Note *Hikaru no Go *One Piece *The Story of Saiunkoku is a Japanese voice actor.-Television Animation:*Mahōjin Guru Guru (Bajāni)*Dai no Daibouken (Badak)*Death Note (David Hoope)*Hikaru no Go (Mr. Shu)*One...
, voice actor - April 26: Morio KazamaMorio Kazamais a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 2nd Yokohama Film Festival for Shiki Natsuko and Yūgure made and at the 6th and 7th Japan Academy Prizes.-Filmography:...
, actor - May 9: Kenji ShimaokaKenji Shimaokais a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics, in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and in the 1976 Summer Olympics....
, volleyball player - May 11: Terumi NikiTerumi Nikiis a Japanese actress from Tokyo. Since a child, she has been a member of the Japanese Theatrical Company Gekidan Wakakusa, of which she has joined in 1953...
, actress - May 12: Moto HagioMoto Hagiois a manga artist born on May 12, 1949 in Ōmuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, though she currently lives in Saitama Prefecture. She is considered a "founding mother" of modern shōjo manga, especially shōnen-ai. She is also a member of the Year 24 Group...
, manga artist - June 5: Guts IshimatsuGuts Ishimatsuis a former boxing world champion from Kanumashi, Japan. After retiring from boxing, he has gained popularity as an actor and comedian.As a boxer, he was known for his unpredictable style, sometimes marking completely unpredicted victories, and often losing in extravagant fashion as well...
, boxer - June 11: Issei SagawaIssei Sagawais a Japanese man who in 1981 murdered and cannibalized a Dutch woman named Renée Hartevelt. After his release, he became a minor celebrity in Japan and made a living through the public's interest in his crime.-Early life:...
, murderer - June 20: Arase NagahideArase Nagahide, real name was a sumo wrestler from Ino, Agawa District, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. An amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, he made his professional debut in 1972....
, sumo wrestler (d. 20082008 in Japan-Incumbents:* Emperor – Akihito* Prime Minister – Yasuo Fukuda until September 24, Taro Aso * Chief Cabinet Secretary: Nobutaka Machimura until September 24, Takeo Kawamura* Governor of Tokyo: Shintaro Ishihara...
) - June 27: Norio NagayamaNorio Nagayamawas a Japanese spree killer and novelist.-Biography:Nagayama was born in Abashiri, Hokkaidō and grew up in a broken home. He moved to Tokyo in 1965 and, while working in Tokyo's Shibuya district, witnessed the Zama and Shibuya shootings....
, spree killer (d. 1997) - July 14: Toyokazu NomuraToyokazu Nomurais a retired judoka who competed in the half middleweight division.-Biography:Nomura was born into a family of judoka. His father was the founder of a local judo dojo, and his brother was also an instructor who taught Olympic gold medalist Shinji Hosokawa. His nephew, Tadahiro Nomura, is the only...
, judoka - August 18: Takeshi ShudoTakeshi Shudowas a Japanese scriptwriter. He was best known as chief writer of the Pokémon anime for the Kanto, Orange Islands, and Johto arcs and also wrote the first three films. He departed the series prior to the start of its rehaul as Advanced Generation...
, scriptwriter (d. 20102010 in Japan- Incumbents :* Emperor – Akihito* Prime Minister – Yukio Hatoyama until June 8, Naoto Kan * Chief Cabinet Secretary: Hirofumi Hirano until January 7, Yoshito Sengoku* Governor of Tokyo: Shintaro Ishihara-Events:...
) - September 20: Yutaka HiguchiYutaka Higuchiin Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese figure skater who is now a coach and figure skating commentator. He is a three-time Japanese national champion. He placed 25th in the 1968 Winter Olympic Games, and 16th in the 1972 Winter Olympic Games.-Competitive highlights:...
, figure skater - September 21: Yusaku MatsudaYusaku Matsudawas a Japanese actor. Yusaku was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi to a Zainichi Korean mother. His father is not known. His date was wrongly recorded as 1950 on his birth records due to a parental error in filing a report.-Career:...
, actor (d. 19891989 in JapanEvents in the year 1989 in Japan.1989 was the first year of Heisei in Japan as well as the all-time peak of the Nikkei 225 stock market average.-Incumbents:*Emperor: Hirohito, Akihito*Prime Minister: Noboru Takeshita, Toshiki Kaifu...
) - October 5: Takajin YashikiTakajin Yashiki— whose real name is also Takajin Yashiki, but written in kanji — is a singer and television celebrity from Nishinari Ward, Osaka City, Kansai, Japan.-Programs:Present*Takajin Mune Ippai *Takajin No Money...
, singer and television celebrity - October 7: Yuji KatsuroYuji KatsuroYuji Katsuro was a Japanese nordic combined skier who competed in the 1970s. His best finish at the Winter Olympics was fifth in the Nordic combined event at Sapporo in 1972.-External links:...
, nordic combined skier - October 21: Masao OhbaMasao OhbaMasao Ohba was a professional boxer from Tokyo, Japan. He was the WBA flyweight champion at the time of his death.- Childhood and Early Career :...
, boxer (d. 1973) - November 17: Yoshito YasuharaYoshito Yasuharais an actor and seiyū born on November 17, 1949 in Aioi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He is a member of Theatre Echo, a theatre troupe and talent management firm known for its comedy sketches...
, actor and voice actor - November 21: Kazumasa HiraiKazumasa Hirai (weightlifter)is a Japanese weightlifter and Olympic medalist. He won a bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.- References :...
, weightlifter - November 28: Kyoko MizukiKyoko Mizukiis one of the pen names of . She is a Japanese writer who is best known for being the author of the manga and anime series Candy Candy.Kyoko Mizuki won the Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shōjo Manga for Candy Candy in 1977 with Yumiko Igarashi....
, author and manga artist - December 2: Shūichi IkedaShuichi Ikedais a veteran seiyū born on December 2, 1949 in Tokyo, Japan. Ikeda is married to Sakiko Tamagawa, although he was once married to Keiko Toda. He currently works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...
, voice actor - December 16: Kensaku MoritaKensaku Moritais a Japanese actor, singer and governor of Chiba Prefecture in Japan.- External links :...
, actor, singer and governor of Chiba PrefectureChiba Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture... - December 20: Takao OkawaraTakao OkawaraTakao Okawara is a Japanese film director, writer and producer.-Biography:Most famous for directing three Heisei Godzilla films, Okawara joined Akira Kurosawa and Ishirō Honda on the film Kagemusha . Four years later, Okawara became the assistant director for the first Heisei Godzilla film: The...
, film director, writer and producer - December 28: Kaoru KitamuraKaoru Kitamurais the pen name of , a popular contemporary Japanese writer, mainly of short stories.-Biography:Kitamura was born in the town of Sugito in Saitama Prefecture. He studied literature at Waseda University in Tokyo, and was a member of the Waseda Mystery Club while a student there...
, writer
Deaths
- January 8: Yoshijirō Umezu, war leader
- January 20: Iwata NakayamaIwata Nakayamawas a renowned Japanese photographer.-Biography:He was born in Yanagawa, in Fukuoka. His father was an inventor who had a patent of a fire extingusher in Japan. Iwata migrated to Tokyo and was educated in a private school Kyohoku-Chugakkou. After graduated that school, he entered Tokyo University...
, photographer - February 6: Hiroaki AbeHiroaki Abewas an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Early career:Abe was born in Yonezawa city in Yamagata prefecture in northern Japan. He graduated from the 39th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1911, with a ranking of 26th out of a class of 148 cadets. As a...
, admiral - May 5: Hideo NagataHideo Nagatawas a poet and playwright in Showa period Japan. He also was a scriptwriter.Born in Tokyo, Nagata was the son of a Shinto priest at the Kikuchi Jinja. Interested in literature and poetry from an early age, he developed his own style of modern poetry and was ranked alongside Kitahara Hakushu and...
, poet and playwright - May 6: Kunihiko HashimotoKunihiko Hashimotowas a Japanese composer, violinist, conductor, and musical educator. He was born in the Hongo district of Tokyo. In 1923, he entered the Tokyo Music School where he studied violin and conducting. In composition, he was largely self-taught, but later he would study that subject as a graduate...
, composer, violinist, conductor, and musical educator - May 17: Unno JuzaUnno Juzawas the pen name of Sano Shōichi , the founding father of Japanese science fiction. He was born to a family of medical doctors in Tokushima city. In 1928 he opened his writer’s career with The case of the mysterious death in the electric bath .During the Pacific War he wrote a great number of...
, founding father of Japanese science fiction - June 30: Harukazu NagaokaHarukazu Nagaokawas a Japanese diplomat and member of the Japanese delegation to the League of Nations at the 1st, 9th, 14th and 15th annual sessions of the Assembly...
, diplomat - July 1: Isamu TakeshitaIsamu Takeshitawas an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was also a diplomat whose accomplishments included helping end the Russo-Japanese War favorably for Japan and obtaining former German possessions in the Pacific for Japan following World War I...
, admiral - August 7: Uemura ShōenUemura Shoenwas the pseudonym of an important woman artist in Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa period Japanese painting. Her real name was Uemura Tsune. Shōen was known primarily for her bijinga paintings of beautiful women in the nihonga style, although she also produced numerous works on historical themes and...
, artist - August 15: Kanji Ishiwara, war leader
- October 12: Kiyoshi KawakamiKiyoshi Kawakamiwas a Japanese Christian journalist who published several books in the United States and the United Kingdom. He was born in Yonezawa, educated in the law in Japan, and was for a short time engaged in newspaper work in that country....
, journalist - November 3: Hidemitsu Tanaka, author
- November 14: Matsudaira TsuneoMatsudaira Tsuneowas a Japanese diplomat of the 20th century.- Diplomatic and political career :The son of Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu, Tsuneo served as Japanese Ambassador to the United States. In 1929–1935 served as Ambassador to Britain, and in that capacity represented his country at the London Conference on...
, diplomat - November 20: Wakatsuki ReijirōWakatsuki ReijiroōBaron was a Japanese politician and the 25th and 28th Prime Minister of Japan. Opposition politicians of the time derogatorily labeled him Usotsuki Reijirō, or "Reijirō the Liar".- Early life :...
, former prime minister - November 25: Kazuo MizutaniKazuo Mizutani' was chief of staff to Takeshi Mori, commander of the First Imperial Guards Division, at the end of World War II.Mizutani was in his office, listening to Col. Masataka Ida's explanation of a plot to prevent Japan's surrender, when Gen. Mori was killed by the lead conspirator, Maj. Kenji Hatanaka...
, chief of staff - December 14: Morita SōheiMorita Soheiwas the pen name of Morita Yonematsu, a Japanese novelist and translator of Western literature active during the late Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan.-Early life:...
, author
Statistics
- YenJapanese yenThe is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
value: US$1 = ¥360 (fixed)