2000 in Japan
Encyclopedia
Events in the year 2000 in Japan
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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...
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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...
: AkihitoAkihitois the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In... - 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...
: Keizo ObuchiKeizo Obuchiwas a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
, Yoshiro MoriYoshiro Moriis a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally... - Chief Cabinet SecretaryChief Cabinet Secretary__notoc__The of Japan is a Minister of State who is responsible for directing the Cabinet Secretariat. The main function of Chief Cabinet Secretary is to coordinate the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch...
: Mikio Aoki, Hidenao NakagawaHidenao Nakagawais a Japanese politician who is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and the House of Representatives of the Diet . He served Yoshirō Mori as Chief Cabinet Secretary from July 2000 to October 2000. In 2006 he was appointed secretary-general of the party.-References:...
, Yasuo FukudaYasuo Fukudawas the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.... - Governor of Tokyo: Shintaro IshiharaShintaro Ishiharais a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
Events
- January 26: The Southern All-Stars release "Tsunami," the best-selling CD single in Japanese history.
- April 1: Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University opens in Ōita PrefectureOita Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...
. - April 2: Prime Minister Obuchi suffers a massive stroke and is hospitalized.
- April 4: Obuchi cabinet resigns.
- April 5: Yoshiro MoriYoshiro Moriis a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
is elected prime minister. - May 14: Obuchi dies.
- May 15: Mori makes his first major gaffe, referring to Japan as a "nation of gods with the Emperor at its center."
- June 25: Japan general election, 2000.
- July 8: Volcanic eruption on MiyakejimaMiyakejimais an island in the Izu group, southeast of Honshū, Japan, administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, with an area of 55.50 km². The island, 180 km south of Tokyo, is located at 34.5N and 139.34E. As of January 1, 2006, the population of the island is 2884...
. - July 19: Bank of JapanBank of Japanis the central bank of Japan. The Bank is often called for short. It has its headquarters in Chuo, Tokyo.-History:Like most modern Japanese institutions, the Bank of Japan was founded after the Meiji Restoration...
issues the first 2,000-yen banknotes. - July 21: G8G8The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
Summit held in Okinawa. - August 1: New 500-yen coins enter circulation.
- September 2: Miyakejima is evacuated as the eruption continues.
- October 6: A Richer Scale 6.6 magunitude earthquake hit in suburb of Yonago, TottoriYonago, Tottoriis a city located in the northwest of Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan, and adjacent to Shimane. It is the prefecture's second largest city after Tottori and therefore a commercial center of the western part of this prefecture....
, injures 182 people. - November 8: Japanese Red ArmyJapanese Red ArmyThe was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...
leader Fusako ShigenobuFusako Shigenobuis the founder and former leader of the now disbanded Japanese Red Army.-Early life:Shigenobu was born on September 28, 1945 in the Setagaya Ward of Tokyo...
is arrested in Osaka.
Births
- February 21: Yuto MiyazawaYuto MiyazawaYuto Miyazawa is a Japanese child prodigy in music. Miyazawa was born on February 21, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan and currently lives there with his parents. Miyazawa was named "The Youngest Professional Guitarist" by Guinness Book of World Records in August, 2008....
, child singer. - August 5: Maya BondMaya BondMaya Bond is a Japanese-born American indie and avant-garde music singer-songwriter and drummer from Austin, Texas. She is the daughter of musician and composer T.W...
, child singer-songwriter and drummer
Deaths
- January 22 — Masao HaradaMasao Haradawas a Japanese athlete who competed mainly in the triple jump.He competed for Japan in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany in the triple jump where he won the silver medal.-References:*...
, athlete - March 7 — Masami YoshidaMasami YoshidaMasami Yoshida was a javelin thrower from Japan, who represented his native country in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1984. He achieved his personal best on August 25, 1991 during the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan....
, javelin thrower - April 7 — Masayuki MinamiMasayuki Minamiwas a Japanese volleyball player born in Fukuoka, Japan. He was a member of the Japanese Men's National Volleyball Team in the 1960s and early 1970s. He won a total number of three Olympic medals during his career.-References:*...
, volleyball player - May 10 — Kaneto ShiozawaKaneto ShiozawaKaneto Shiozawa , real name was a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo affiliated with Aoni Production. He had a distinctive cold, calm voice which usually typecast him in roles as villains or anti-heroes....
, voice actor - May 13 — Jumbo TsurutaJumbo Tsuruta, better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta, was a professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling for most of his career, and is well-known for being the first ever AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National...
, wrestler - May 14 — Keizo ObuchiKeizo Obuchiwas a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
, prime minister - June 16 — Empress KōjunEmpress Kojun' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"...
- June 19 — Noboru TakeshitaNoboru Takeshitawas a Japanese politician and the 74th Prime Minister of Japan from November 6, 1987 to June 3, 1989.Takeshita was also the last Prime Minister during the long rule of the Emperor Shōwa.-Early years:...
, politician - June 22 — Osamu TakizawaOsamu Takizawawas a Japanese actor. He was born in Ushigome, Tokyo, Japan. Starting at the Tsukiji Little Theater, Takizawa participated in a number of theatrical troupes before forming Gekidan Mingei with Jūkichi Uno. His was praised for his performance in Death of a Salesman and also directed a version of The...
, actor - July 23 — Ogura YukiOgura Yukiwas a nihonga painter in Shōwa period Japan. Her maiden name was Mizoguchi Yuki. She was known for her bijinga.-Biography:Ogura was born in Ōtsu city, Shiga prefecture and graduated from the Nara Women's Normal School...
, painter - August 12 — Noboru AkiyamaNoboru Akiyamawas a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, originally from Okayama, Okayama. He played with the Taiyo Whales. He is a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.-External links:...
, basebell pitcher - September 22 — Saburō SakaiSaburo SakaiSub-Lieutenant was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sakai was the Imperial Navy's fourth-ranking ace and Japan's second leading fighter pilot to survive the war ....
, naval aviator and flying ace - October 4 — Masaji IguroMasaji IguroMasaji Iguro was a Japanese ski jumper who competed in the 1930s.At the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, he finished seventh in the individual large hill competition.-External links:*...
, ski jumper - October 13 — Masao FujiiMasao Fujiiwas a professional baseball player for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was born in Nishi-ku, Fukuoka and raised in Karatsu, Saga.His number 15 is honored by the Hawks.-References:...
, baseball player - October 25 — Mochitsura HashimotoMochitsura HashimotoCommander was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the commander of several Japanese submarines during World War II including RO-44, I-158 and I-58.-Biography:Hashimoto was born in Kyoto as a younger son of a Shinto priest...
, officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy - October 31 — Kazuki Watanabe, musician