2011 in Japan
Encyclopedia
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...
– Naoto KanNaoto Kanis a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
(Democratic PartyDemocratic Party of JapanThe is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
) until September 2, Yoshihiko NodaYoshihiko Nodais the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan , and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet... - 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...
: Yoshito SengokuYoshito Sengokuis a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was born in Tokushima, Tokushima prefecture. While studying in the University of Tokyo, he passed the bar exam and therefore dropped out of the university...
until January 14, Yukio EdanoYukio Edanois a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. He was the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Kan government. On September 12, 2011, he was named as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry... - 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
- JanuaryJanuaryJanuary is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day...
and February – 2011 cold wave and heavy snow in Japan; according to officials, at least 127 people die, 1465 are injured. Many vehicles stuck in snow in Yonago, Aizuwakamatsu and FukuiFukuiFukui is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or it can mean "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to:- Places :* Fukui Prefecture** Fukui, Fukui - the city of the same name in the prefecture...
. - January 14 – Prime Minister of JapanPrime 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...
Naoto KanNaoto Kanis a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
reshuffles his CabinetCabinet of JapanThe of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister and up to fourteen other members, called Ministers of State. The Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister...
. - January 22 – An unmanned Japanese H-II Transfer VehicleH-II Transfer VehicleThe H-II Transfer Vehicle , called , is an unmanned resupply spacecraft used to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module and the International Space Station . The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been working on the design since the early 1990s. The first mission, HTV-1, was originally...
HTV-2 Resupply Craft was launched atop the H-IIBH-IIBH-IIB is an expendable launch system used to launch H-II Transfer Vehicles towards the International Space Station. H-IIB rockets are liquid-fuelled with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and are launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan...
rocket on a mission to deliver cargo to the International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. - FebruaryFebruaryFebruary is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 28 days in common years and 29 days in leap years...
6 - The Japan Sumo AssociationJapan Sumo AssociationThe is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
cancels the Spring Grand Sumo TournamentSumois a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
in light of a match fixingMatch fixingIn organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
scandal, the first time the event has been canceled since 1946. - February 26 - Nintendo's first 3D portable game console "Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
" is released in Japan. - MarchMarchMarch is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
7 - Seiji MaeharaSeiji Maeharais a Japanese politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives of Japan since 1993. He was the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan from 2005 to 2006, and later served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Minister of Foreign Affairs under the cabinets...
resigns as Foreign Minister of Japan after becoming involved in an illegal political donation scandal. - March 9 - Takeaki MatsumotoTakeaki Matsumotois a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who is currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A native of Tokyo and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000 after running unsuccessfully as an independent...
is sworn in as the Foreign Minister of Japan replacing Seiji MaeharaSeiji Maeharais a Japanese politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives of Japan since 1993. He was the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan from 2005 to 2006, and later served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Minister of Foreign Affairs under the cabinets...
who resigned following a political donations scandal. - March 11 - An 9.0 magnitude earthquake2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiThe 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
hits offshore of Japan's Miyagi prefectureMiyagi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, resulting in tsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
waves as high as 10 metres, causing an accident at Fukushima I Nuclear Power PlantFukushima I Nuclear Power PlantThe , also known as Fukushima Dai-ichi , is a disabled nuclear power plant located on a site in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. First commissioned in 1971, the plant consists of six boiling water reactors... - March 12 - Kyushu ShinkansenKyushu ShinkansenThe ' is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima in Kyushu, running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company . The southern 127 km opened on 13 March 2004...
open between Yatsushiro and Hakata of FukuokaHakata StationHakata Station , located in Hakata-ku, is the main railway terminal of the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station on Kyūshū, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyūshū for travellers from Honshū. The Sanyō Shinkansen from Osaka ends at this station...
, with start to direct high-speed train, between OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
to Kagoshima. - March 23 - TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
tap waterTap waterTap water is a principal component of "indoor plumbing", which became available in urban areas of the developed world during the last quarter of the 19th century, and common during the mid-20th century...
contaminated by radiationRadiationIn physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
. - March 25 - VegetableVegetableThe noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s grown in Tokyo contaminated by radiationRadiationIn physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
. - March 31 - The Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka was due to be closed on this date, but remained open through June 2011June 2011June 2011 is the sixth month of the current year. It began on a Wednesday and ended after 30 days on a Thursday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from June 2011....
to house people displaced by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear alert. - May 4 - Osaka Station City, which largest terminal shopping mall in Japan, include cinema complex, department store, and commercial facilities are open.
- May 12 - Worst heist in Japan, 604-million yen robbery, in which a 36 year-old security company's workers are injured in Tachikawa, TokyoTachikawa, Tokyois a city located in western Tokyo, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 178,064 and the density of 7,303.69 people per km². The total area is 24.38 km²...
. Six men are arrested on suspicion the heist on July 31. - June 19 - Termination of service for 1000-yen for unlimited rides for vehicles with ETC at expressway by nationwide (exclude Tohoku region) has been over two years and three months.
- July 17 - The Japan women's national football teamJapan women's national football teamThe Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
defeats the United States women's national football team on penalties, after a 2-2 extra-time scoreline, to win the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. - July 21 - Tatsuya Ichihashi is sentenced to life in prison for the Murder of Lindsay Hawker.
- August 15 - JapanJapanJapan 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...
's Cabinet approves a plan to establish a new energy watchdog under the Environment MinistryMinistry of the Environment (Japan)The ' of Japan was formed in 2001 from the sub-cabinet level Environmental Agency established in 1971. The minister is a member of the Cabinet and is chosen by the Prime Minister, usually from the Diet., the current is Goshi Hosono...
. - August 26 - Naoto KanNaoto Kanis a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
announces his resignation as Prime Minister of JapanPrime 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...
. - September 2 - Yoshihiko NodaYoshihiko Nodais the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan , and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet...
becomes Prime Minister of JapanPrime 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...
. - September 5 - Typhoon Talas, following massivie rain and landslide in [Kii Peninsula]], resulting to death toll number of 106 persons.
- September 17 - A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquakeEarthquakeAn earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
and a series of aftershockAftershockAn aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s occur off the coast of HonshuHonshuis the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
in JapanJapanJapan 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...
. - October 26 - Tsuyoshi Kikukawa resigns as the President and Chairman of Olympus CorporationOlympus Corporationis a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,...
, as financial and law enforcement bodies in JapanJapanJapan 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...
, the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
investigate the optical equipment company's acquisitions in recent years.
Other events
- Analog televisionAnalog televisionAnalog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
broadcasts ended; stations now send their signals digitallyDigital televisionDigital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
. - Prefectural and selected municipal elections in major cities:
- January 30 – Yamanashi gubernatorial election, 2011.
- February 6 – Triple election in Nagoya, Aichi: Aichi gubernatorial election, 2011, Nagoya mayoral election, 2011 and Nagoya city council recall referendum.
- March 13 – Nagoya city council election, 2011.
- April 10 and 24 – Japanese unified regional elections, 2011Japanese unified regional elections, 2011The 17th unified regional elections in Japan took place in April 2011. In the first phase on April 10, 2011 13 governors, 41 prefectural parliaments as well as five mayors and 15 councils in cities designated by government ordinance were elected...
(12 governors, 41 parliaments, mayors and councils in several hundred municipalities). - June 5 – Aomori gubernatorial election, 2011.
- July 3 – Gunma gubernatorial election, 2011.
- July 31 – Saitama gubernatorial election, 2011.
- August 28 – Sendai city council election, 2011 (originally scheduled for the unified elections but postponed following the Tōhoku earthquake).
- September 11 -Iwate gubernatorial election, 2011 and Iwate prefectural election, 2011 (originally scheduled for the unified elections but postponed following the Tōhoku earthquake).
- November 13 – Miyagi prefectural election, 2011 (originally scheduled for the unified elections but postponed following the Tōhoku earthquake): the LDP loses some seats, but remains strongest party with 28 of the 59 assembly seats.
- November 20 – Fukushima prefectural election, 2011 (originally scheduled for the unified elections but postponed following the Tōhoku earthquake): With many voters displaced by earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents, turnout reaches a historical low at 47.5 percent; the LDP gains one seat and now holds 27 of the 58 assembly seats.
- November 27 – Kōchi gubernatorial election, 2011 (uncontested): With explicit or implicit support of all established parties including the Communists, governor Masanao OzakiMasanao Ozakibecame governor of Kōchi Prefecture in Japan on December 7, 2007. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo and former bureaucrat of the Ministry of Finance.- External links :*...
is reelected without vote for a second term – the first uncontested gubernatorial election since Yoshihiro KatayamaYoshihiro Katayamais the current Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. He was the Governor of Tottori Prefecture from 1999 to 2007.- References :...
's reelection in Tottori in 2003. - November 27 – Double election in Ōsaka, Ōsaka: Major issue of both the Ōsaka gubernatorial election, 2011 and the Ōsaka city mayoral election, 2011 were resigned governor and mayoral candidate Tōru HashimotoToru Hashimotois a Japanese lawyer and commentator on legal matters. He was the 52nd Governor of Osaka Prefecture and is the president of the Osaka Restoration Association...
’s plan to dissolve the cities of Ōsaka and Sakai and reorganize them like Tokyo’s wards in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
prefecture as special wardsSpecial wards of TokyoThe are 23 municipalities that together make up the core and the most populous part of Tokyo, Japan. Together, they occupy the land that was the city of Tokyo before it was abolished in 1943. The special wards' structure was established under the Japanese Local Autonomy Law and is unique to...
of Ōsaka prefecture. Incumbent Ōsaka city mayor Kunio HiramatsuKunio Hiramatsuwas the mayor of Osaka, Osaka in Japan. He was elected in 2007.Hiramatsu unsuccessfully ran for re-election in Osaka's mayoral election on November 27, 2011, where his challenger was former Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto.-External links:...
was opposed to the plan and was supported by both major parties; even the JCP nominated no candidate for Osaka mayor for the first time since 1963 to support his reelection. Despite support from all established parties and all other candidates dropping out of the race, Hiramatsu lost the mayoral election to Hashimoto by a wide margin; and Hashimoto's candidate for governor, Ichirō Matsui comfortably won the gubernatorial race against Kaoru Kurata (both major parties), one Communist and several minor independent candidates (including perennial candidate Mac Akasaka).
Unknown dates
- The Tokyo Sky Tree in Sumida, TokyoSumida, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It calls itself Sumida City in English.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 240,296 and a density of 17,480 persons per km²...
is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
Deaths
- January 3 – Nakamura Tomijyuro V, 81, Japanese KabukiKabukiis classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actor. - January 5 – Keijiro Yamashita, Japanese rockabillyRockabillyRockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
singer. - January 11 – Kozo HaraguchiKozo Haraguchiwas a track and field athlete and former World Masters Athletics record holder in the 100 m sprint for men aged 90–94 as well as the former record holder for men aged 95–100...
, 100, Japanese track and field athlete, respiratory failure. - January 14 – Toshiyuki HosokawaToshiyuki Hosokawawas a Japanese actor and disc jockey, whose credits included roles in television, film, stage and musical theater. He reached prominence in Japan for his starring role in the 1970 film Eros Plus Massacre, which was directed by Yoshishige Yoshida.Hosokawa was a raised in Fukuoka Prefecture...
, Japanese actor, acute subdural hematoma. - January 14 – Ben WadaBen WadaBen Wada , born Tsutomu Wada, was a producer for the Japanese TV channel NHK. He was born in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture. After attending Sugamo Middle School and Senior High School, Wada graduated from the Drama department of the Literature Faculty at Waseda University. He joined NHK in 1953 and...
, 80, Japanese television director, esophageal cancer. - January 17 – Shinichiro SakuraiShinichiro Sakuraiwas a Japanese engineer inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame who originally worked for Prince Motor Company then later moved to Nissan. After graduating from Yokohama National University, Sakurai joined Prince as a chassis engineer in 1952, and was heavily involved in the development of...
, 81, Japanese automotive engineer, heart failure. - February 5 – Hiroko NagataHiroko Nagata-Web:...
, 65, Japanese radical and murderer, vice-chairman of United Red ArmyUnited Red ArmyThe was a Japanese revolutionary armed group, established on 15 July 1971. It united the Red Army Faction, led in 1971 by Tsuneo Mori and the Maoist Revolutionary Left Wing of the Japanese Communist Party, led by Hiroko Nagata...
. - February 13 – Nobutoshi KiharaNobutoshi KiharaNobutoshi Kihara was an engineer at Sony, best known for his work on the original Walkman cassette-tape player in the 1970s and was commonly called Mr...
, Japanese electronics engineer for Sony. - April 17 – Osamu DezakiOsamu Dezaki, also known as , , or , was a Japanese director of anime born on November 18, 1943, in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. His older brother, Satoshi Dezaki, is also an anime director....
, 67, director of anime, lung cancer. - April 21 – Yoshiko TanakaYoshiko Tanakawas a Japanese actress. She was also famous as a member of the pop group Candies. While a member of Candies, Tanaka was known by the nickname Still at the height of its popularity, the group disbanded in 1978. Tanaka was also the sister-in-law of the well-known actress Masako Natsume.Tanaka was...
, 55, actress, breast cancer. - April 23 - Norio OhgaNorio Ohga, otherwise spelled Norio Oga, was the former president and chairman of Sony Corporation, credited with spurring the development of the compact disc as a commercially viable audio format.-Early career:...
, 81, businessman and CEO of SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. - May 2 - Shigeo YaegashiShigeo Yaegashi, was a Japanese football player.Yaegashi was born in Daejeon, Japan but raised in Iwate. He won a bronze medal in the team competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He died in Tama, Tokyo.-Awards:...
, 78, footballer. - May 12 – Miyu UeharaMiyu Uehara, better known as , was a Japanese gravure idol and TV personality, who gained popularity as a "poverty idol".-Life:Uehara was born on the island of Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture, the youngest of 10 siblings. She attended high school in Kagoshima for a brief time before dropping out...
, 24, gravure idol and television personality, suicide. - May 16 - Kiyoshi Kodama, 77, actor.
- May 18 - Seiseki AbeSeiseki Abewas a Japanese shodo and aikido teacher who had a unique relationship with aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba, being both his student in aikido and his teacher in calligraphy.- Early years :...
, 96, shodo and aikido teacher. - May 21 - Hiroyuki NagatoHiroyuki Nagatowas a Japanese actor.Nagato was born in Kyoto. He starred in Season of the Sun, Endless Desire, My Second Brother, Stolen Desire, and Sukeban Deka, and Yo-Yo Girl Cop. He died in Tokyo on May 21, 2011....
, 77, actor. - June 6 - Masashi OhuchiMasashi Ohuchiwas a Japanese medal-winning weightlifter. Ohuchi won a bronze medal in weightlifting at the 1964 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He won two gold medals at the Asia Games in 1966 and 1970. He further became the world champion in Light-Heavy lighting at...
, 67, Olympic weightlifter. - June 9 - Tomoko KawakamiTomoko Kawakamiwas a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo. Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, Kawakami was affiliated with Production Baobab at the time of her death.-Career:...
, 41, voice actress. - June 28 - Osamu KobayashiOsamu Kobayashi (voice actor)was a Japanese seiyū and actor from Tokyo and the former executive director of Dōjinsha Production. He was a baritone.-Television animation:* Alps Story: My Annette: Pierre...
, 76, voice actor and executive director. - July 5 - Shinji WadaShinji Wadawas a Japanese manga artist in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and best known for the creation of the Sukeban Deka franchise. He has been the cover artist for and had stories published in the bishōjo lolicon manga anthology series Petit Apple Pie....
, 61, manga artist. - July 9 - Hideo TanakaHideo Tanaka (director)was a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. He is known for his work in several adaptations of Shinji Wada's manga series Sukeban Deka as well as television series and movies from the Metal Hero Series...
, 78, director. - July 17 - Takaji MoriTakaji Moriis a Japanese former football player and manager. Mori played for Japan at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Awards:* Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: ' 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975-References:...
, 67, footballer. - July 19 - Yoshio HaradaYoshio Haradawas a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades.-Career:Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyūza theater troupe in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in 1968 with Fukushū no uta ga kikoeru. He came to fame...
, 71, actor. - July 26 - Sakyo KomatsuSakyo Komatsuwas a Japanese science fiction writer and screenwriter. He was one of the most well known and highly regarded science fiction writers in Japan.-Early life:...
, 80, science fiction writer - July 27 - Rei HarakamiRei Harakamiwas a Kyoto-based electronic musician from Hiroshima, Japan. He composed and mixed on two Roland SC-88Pro sound generators, at times supplemented by the Roland SK-88Pro keyboard model. He suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage on the 27th July 2011.Rei released his debut album in 1998 on Sublime Records...
, 40, musician - July 27 - Hideki IrabuHideki Irabuwas a professional baseball player of Okinawan and American mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States.-Early life:...
, 42, baseball player - August 4 - Naoki MatsudaNaoki Matsudawas a Japanese footballer who played as a central defender.-Football career:Born in Kiryū, Gunma, Matsuda represented the Yokohama F. Marinos for the vast majority of his career, being promoted to the first team in 1995, at the age of 18...
, 34, football player - August 5 - Takehiko Maeda, 82, television writer
- August 10 - Mimi Hiyoshi, 64, singer
- August 15 - Tōru ShōrikiToru Shorikiwas a Japanese businessman and the owner of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. He was the eldest son of Matsutarō Shōriki.In 1942, he received his degree from the Faculty of Economics at Keio University....
, 92, baseball team owner (Tokyo GiantsYomiuri GiantsThe are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
) and former CEO of Yomiuri Newspaper - August 21 - Muga Takewaki, 67, actor
- September 6 - Shigeri AkabaneShigeri AkabaneShigeri Akabane , known by his ringname Little Tokyo, was a Japanese professional midget wrestler who competed in North American promotions during the 1970s and 1980s including Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation, most...
, 70, professional wrestler. - September 7 - Hiroe YukiHiroe Yukiwas a Japanese badminton player. She won numerous major international titles from the late 1960s to the late 1970s.- Persons :...
, 62, badminton player.