2023 in Japan

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2023 History of Japan  • Timeline  • Years

Events in the year 2023 in Japan.

• Emperor: Naruhito^[1]
• Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida
• Chief Cabinet Secretary
  • Hirokazu Matsuno (until December 14)
  • Yoshimasa Hayashi (starting December 14)
• Chief Justice of Japan: Saburo Tokura
• Speaker of the House of Representatives
  • Hiroyuki Hosoda (until October 20)
  • Fukushiro Nukaga (starting October 20)
• President of the House of Councillors: Hidehisa Otsuji

• Aichi Prefecture: Hideaki Omura
• Akita Prefecture: Norihisa Satake
• Aomori Prefecture: Shingo Mimura (until June 28), Sōichirō Miyashita, (from June 29)
• Chiba Prefecture: Toshihito Kumagai
• Ehime Prefecture: Tokihiro Nakamura
• Fukui Prefecture: Tatsuji Sugimoto
• Fukuoka Prefecture: Seitaro Hattori
• Fukushima Prefecture: Masao Uchibori
• Gifu Prefecture: Hajime Furuta
• Gunma Prefecture: Ichita Yamamoto
• Hiroshima Prefecture: Hidehiko Yuzaki
• Hokkaido: Naomichi Suzuki
• Hyogo Prefecture: Motohiko Saitō
• Ibaraki Prefecture: Kazuhiko Ōigawa
• Ishikawa: Masanori Tanimoto
• Iwate Prefecture: Takuya Tasso
• Kagawa Prefecture: Keizō Hamada
• Kagoshima Prefecture: Kōichi Shiota
• Kanagawa Prefecture: Yuji Kuroiwa
• Kumamoto Prefecture: Ikuo Kabashima
• Kochi Prefecture: Seiji Hamada
• Kyoto Prefecture: Takatoshi Nishiwaki
• Mie Prefecture: Eikei Suzuki
• Miyagi Prefecture: Yoshihiro Murai
• Miyazaki Prefecture: Shunji Kōno
• Nagano Prefecture: Shuichi Abe
• Nagasaki Prefecture: Hōdō Nakamura
• Nara Prefecture: Shōgo Arai (until May 2), Makoto Yamashita (from May 3)
• Niigata Prefecture: Hideyo Hanazumi
• Oita Prefecture: Katsusada Hirose (until April 27), Kiichiro Satō (from April 28)
• Okayama Prefecture: Ryuta Ibaragi
• Okinawa Prefecture: Denny Tamaki
• Osaka Prefecture: Hirofumi Yoshimura
• Saga Prefecture: Yoshinori Yamaguchi
• Saitama Prefecture: Motohiro Ōno
• Shiga Prefecture: Taizō Mikazuki
• Shimame Prefecture: Tatsuya Maruyama
• Shizuoka Prefecture: Heita Kawakatsu
• Tochigi Prefecture: Tomikazu Fukuda
• Tokushima Prefecture: Kamon Iizumi (until May 17), Masazumi Gotoda (from May 18)
• Tokyo Prefecture: Yuriko Koike
• Tottori Prefecture: Shinji Hirai
• Toyama Prefecture: Hachiro Nitta
• Wakayama Prefecture: Shūhei Kishimoto
• Yamagata Prefecture: Mieko Yoshimura
• Yamaguchi Prefecture: Tsugumasa Muraoka
• Yamanashi Prefecture: Kotaro Nagasaki

• January 1–March 28 – According to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries official confirmed report, at least 82 livestock farm place were bird flu, resulting H5N1 type from death bodies positive test on nationwide, and 9.9 million chickens were culling by Japan Self Ground Defense Force.^[2]
• January 13 – According to the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japanese prosecutors indicts Tetsuya Yamagami for the suspect of killing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on July 8, 2022, in Nara.^[3]
• January 19 – According to official confirmed report, Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University were merged, new name is Tokyo Institute Science University, that start in April 2024.^[4]
• January 20 – The Bank of Japan reports that inflation in Japan increased by 4.0% in December, the highest recorded increase since 1981.^[5]
• January 22 – Four people are killed and three others are feared dead in an apartment fire in Kobe.^[6]
• January 25 – A Hong Kong-registered ship carrying 22 people capsizes off the waters of Japan. 13 crew members are rescued, but two later died, and nine are still missing.^[7]
• January 29 – A 17-year-old student was filmed licking a soy sauce bottle, and then his finger which he then used to prod on sushi in the food chain Sushiro.^[8] Outrage spread across Japan, starting a series of pranks across the country referred to as "sushi terrorism".^[9]

• February 3 – An Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister of Fumio Kishida, Masayoshi Arai [ja] said homophobic comment, "I would not want to live next to, or look at the homosexual, If same-sex marriage were legalized, some people would abandon their country".^[10][11] He was fired the following day. [1]
• February 6 – According to Mitsubishi Aircraft has official announcement, Mitsubishi SpaceJet has complete withdraw from manufacture, sales and development.^[12]

• March 15 – YouTuber and former MP Yoshikazu Higashitani is expelled by the House of Councillors for never attending parliament.^[13] An arrest warrant was requested for him the following day.^[14]

• April 1 – All cyclists are obliged to make an effort to wear helmets.^[15]
• April 6 – A Mitsubishi UH-60JA helicopter of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force crashes off the coast of Miyakojima in Okinawa Prefecture, with 10 people on board.^[16][17]
• April 13 – North Korea launches a ballistic missile toward northern Japan, prompting evacuation orders in Hokkaido.^[18]
• April 15 – The assassination attempt is made on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida when what was described as a "smoke bomb" was thrown towards his direction and detonated, while he was delivering speech in Wakayama. But he was unhurt from that bomb.^[19]

• May 5 –
  • Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Singapore and met Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. They also discussed how Singapore and Japan could further expand and deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as the economy, digitalisation, energy, and sustainability.
  • 2023 Ishikawa earthquake. According to USGS official report, a Richter Scale 6.2 magnitude earthquake, followed by many aftershocks, hit in Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture. According to Fire and Disaster Management Agency official report, 1 person died and 48 people were wounded.^{[citation needed]}
• May 11 – According to USGS official report, a Richter Scale 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit in Tokyo Metropolitan area, according to Fire and Disaster Management Agency official report, nine persons were wounded.^{[citation needed]}
• May 19 to 21 – 49th G7 summit held in Hiroshima.^{[citation needed]}
• May 25 – Four people including two policemen were killed in a stabbing and shooting incident in Nakano.^[20]

• June 2–3 – According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, a heavy massive torrential rain, affective Typhoon Mawar hit in Japan, many places occur on flash flood, levee collapse, landslide hit in Tokyo Metropolitan area, Kii Peninsula, and Hamamatsu, which kill 7 persons with injure 45 persons.^{[citation needed]}
• June 4 – A former member of House of Councillors, Yoshikazu Higashitani arrested suspicion for repeating habitual personal intimidation by own YouTube, on way to Japan, escape from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to Japan National Police Agency and Interpol announced.^{[citation needed]}
• June 14 – 2023 Japan military facility shooting
• June 16 – The Japanese Diet passes the bill to understand LGBTQ, raises the age of consent from 13 to 16, and criminalizes voyeurism.^[21][22]

• June 18 – According to Japan National Police Agency official confirmed report, a regular route bus and a truck carrying livestock were collision in Yakumo, Hokkaido, a five persons were human fatalities with twelve persons were hurt,^[23][24]
• June 23 – According to the official confirmed report of the World Health Organization, a patient who died of myocarditis in domestic (a 70's age) in June 2022 was confirmed as the first case of Oz virus in the world from the results of the Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases.^{[citation needed]}

• July 4 – UN's nuclear watchdog approves plans to release water from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.^[25]
• July 8 – Japan marked the 1st anniversary of the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated while he giving at the parliamentary election speech in Nara in July 2022.^{[citation needed]}
• 11 July – Floods and mudslides killed at least six in southwestern Japan and injured 19. Five people have been reported missing.^[26]
• July 14 – According to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) official confirmed report, an explosion occurred during the test of solid fuel Epsilon rocket at JAXA's Noshiro Testing Center in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, no one injures on this incident.^{[citation needed]}
• July 15–16 – According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, a heavy rain caused flooding, levee breaches, and landslides in many places in Akita Prefecture. According to an official report by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, kill one person and injure four others.^{[citation needed]}
• July 30 – According to official confirmed report, Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival has return since 2022. However, a many visitor remain behind venue after midnight, cause the suburban train service hour ended.^{[citation needed]}

• August 1 to 9 – According to FDMA official announced, a powerful Typhoon Khanun hit around Sakishima Islands, Okinawa Island with toward East China Sea, one person fatalities with 91 persons were wounded.^{[citation needed]}
• August 15 – According to FDMA official report, a torrential massibie rain, levee collapse hit affectives by Typhoon Lan, 66 persons were wounded, mainly, occurred in Fukuchiyama, Tottori City.^{[citation needed]}
• August 24 – According to Japanese government official announcement, and despite opposition groups from environmental activist and government official from neighbour countries, from discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima First Nuclear Power Plant to start into the Pacific Ocean has started. Relative Chinese government announces that prohibition to all fish import from Japan on same day.^{[citation needed]}
• August 26 – Utsunomiya Light Rail, officially operating start in Tochigi Prefecture, a new tram operating in Japan, since April 20, 2004 in Toyama Light Rail.^{[citation needed]}

• September 4 – The Supreme Court of Japan formally orders Okinawa to allow the United States Armed Forces to expand its runways and military infrastructure on the island despite protests from the locals who oppose the American military's presence.^[27]
• September 8–9 – According to Japan Fire and Disasters Management Agency official confirmed report, Tropical Storm Yunyeung relative heavy massibie rain with flash flood, levee collapse hit in Iwaki, Kitaibaraki and Boso Peninsula, total a person human fatalities and 21 persons were injure.^{[citation needed]}
• September 13 – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the second reshuffled his cabinet.^[28]
• September 29 – K-Arena Yokohama, a major concert hall in Tokyo Metropolitan area, was open in Nishi-ku, Yokohama.^{[citation needed]}

• October 2 – An entertainment giant, Johnny & Associates official announcement, change name to Smile-Up, according to report.^[29]

• October 7 – According to Japan National Police Agency official confirmed report, four climers were their lost to lives, due suddenly change temperature in Mount Asahi, Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture.^[30]
• October 25 – The Supreme Court of Japan rules that requiring sterilization as part of gender transitioning is unconstitutional, but sends back the gender-affirming surgery requirement to a lower court.^[31]
• October 30 – Japan suspends the pilot experiment of its first fully autonomous self-driving car following a minor collision.^[32]
• October 31 – According to JNPA official announced, two men were hurt by handgun at Toda General Hospital, following two employee were hostage trap in post office in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, all hostage was without hurt with later freed, and 86 years age were arrested on suspicion for violence on handgun use.^[33]

• November 4 – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visit the Philippines and met Philippine President Bongbong Marcos, and also address a joint session of Philippine Congress.
• November 5 –
  • Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visit Malaysia and met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
  • 2023 Japan Series: In Japanese baseball, Hanshin Tigers defeat the Orix Buffaloes to win the Japan Series in seven games, capturing their second championship, the first time since 1985, breaking the Curse of the Colonel.^[34]
• November 23 – The High Court of Seoul orders Japan to pay compensation of ₩200 million (around ¥22 million or US$154,000) to 16 comfort women during World War II, overturning a previous ruling that denied the women's claims due to sovereign immunity.^[35]
• November 29 – A United States Air Force V-22 Osprey crashes off the coast of Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture with eight crew members on board. A search and rescue operation has been launched, according to the Japan Coast Guard.^[36]

• December 12 – A district court in Fukushima, convicts three former soldiers for sexually assaulting a colleague, Rina Gonoi, during a military exercise in 2021, sentencing them to two years in prison and suspending them from the military for four years.

• December 20 – Japanese electronics company Toshiba is delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange after 74 years.
• December 26 –
  • Daihatsu, a unit of Japanese automaker Toyota, shuts down all production lines at its four factories in Japan, while transport ministry officials investigate improper tests for safety certifications.^[37]
  • The Tokyo High Court rules that the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, TEPCO will be solely responsible for compensating evacuees, while reducing the amount by half of what a lower court had initially ordered, and absolved the government of any liability.^[38]

• 2023 in anime
• 2023 in Japanese music
• 2023 in Japanese television
• List of 2023 box office number-one films in Japan
• List of Japanese films of 2023

• July 14 to 30 - 2023 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka.^[39]
• September 24 – 2023 Formula One World Championship is held at 2023 Japanese Grand Prix
• October 1 – 2023 MotoGP World Championship is held at 2023 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix
• 2023 F4 Japanese Championship
• 2023 Super Formula Championship
• 2023 Super Formula Lights
• 2023 Super GT Series
• 2022 AFC Champions League Final (Japan)
• 2023 in Japanese football
• 2023 J1 League
• 2023 J2 League
• 2023 J3 League
• 2023 Japan Football League
• 2023 Japanese Regional Leagues
• 2023 Japanese Super Cup
• 2023 Emperor's Cup
• 2023 J.League Cup

In the fifth year of Reiwa Memoriam despite Japanese demographics and the aging crisis in the country, among top 20 famous Japanese people who died peacefully due to illness and old age include Yukihiro Takahashi, Leiji Matsumoto, Shoichiro Toyoda, Maon Kurosaki, Ryuho Okawa, Kenzaburō Ōe, Chikage Oogi, Tomoko Naraoka, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mikio Aoki, Sadao Nakajima, Nizo Yamamoto, Shinji Tanimura, Atsushi Sakurai, Heath of X Japan, Junko Ohashi, Hiroyuki Hosoda, Daisaku Ikeda, Terao Tsunefumi, and Aki Yashiro. Meanwhile, on July 12, 2023, Ryuchell, Japanese social media personality, model, singer, and activist, died by suicide at the age of 27.

• January 1 – Tetsuo Hasegawa, actor (b. 1938)^[40]
• January 11 – Yukihiro Takahashi, musician (b. 1952)
• January 23 – Hiromitsu Kadota, baseball player (b. 1948)

• February 5 – Takako Sasuga, voice actress (b. 1936)
• February 7 – Hiroki Nakata, shogi player (b. 1964)
• February 10 – Satoshi Iriki, baseball player (b. 1967)
• February 13 – Leiji Matsumoto, animator and manga artist (b. 1938)^[41]
• February 14 – Shoichiro Toyoda, business executive (b. 1925)
• February 15 – Shōzō Iizuka, voice actor (b. 1933)
• February 16 – Maon Kurosaki, singer and songwriter (b. 1988)
• February 25 – Mitsuo Senda, voice actor (b. 1940)

• March 2 – Ryuho Okawa, religious leader (b. 1956)
• March 5
  • Takahiro Kimura, animator, illustrator and character designer (b. 1964)^[42]
  • Kenzaburō Ōe, writer (b. 1935)
• March 9 – Chikage Oogi, actress and politician (b. 1933)
• March 10 – Naonobu Fujii, volleyball player (b. 1992)
• March 11 – Chen Kenichi, chef (b. 1956)
• March 15 – Taro Nakayama, politician and former Foreign Minister of Japan (b. 1924)
• March 22 – Jirō Dan, actor (b. 1949)
• March 23 – Tomoko Naraoka, actress (b. 1929)
• March 28 – Ryuichi Sakamoto, composer, record producer, and actor (b. 1952)

• April 1 – Yasumichi Kushida, voice actor (b. 1976)
• April 5 – Masanori Hata, zoologist, essayist, and filmmaker (b. 1935)

• May 11 – Futoshi Nakanishi, baseball player (b. 1933)

• June 9 – Yumie Hiraiwa, screenwriter, novelist (b. 1932)
• June 11
  • Mikio Aoki, politician (b. 1934)
  • Sadao Nakajima, film director (b. 1934)
• June 12 – Shigeru Sugishita, baseball player (b. 1925)
• June 16 – Manabu Kitabeppu, baseball player (b. 1957)

• July 1 – Ippei Kuri, manga artist and entrepreneur (b. 1940)^[43]
• July 11 – Yuzo Toyama, composer (b. 1931)
• July 12 – Ryuchell, television personality (b. 1995)
• July 18 – Keiko Suzuka, actress (b. 1955)
• July 24 – Seiichi Morimura, novelist (b. 1933)

• August 5 – Nami Sano, manga artist (b. 1987)
• August 19 – Nizo Yamamoto, manga art director (b. 1953)

• September 1 – Shozaburo Nakamura, politician, former Justice Minister (b. 1934)
• September 8 – Buichi Terasawa, manga artist (b. 1955)^[44]
• September 16 – Yukiyoshi Tokoro, manga artist (b. 1947)

• October 8 – Shinji Tanimura, singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
• October 10 – Toshio Naka, former professional baseball player and coach (b. 1936)
• October 14 – Ichirō Zaitsu, actor and comedian (b. 1934)
• October 18 – Yoshinori Monta, singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
• October 19 – Atsushi Sakurai, musician and singer-songwriter (b. 1966)
• October 25 – Yūji Tsushima, politician (b. 1930)
• October 26 – Hiroshi Inuzuka, actor and bassist (b. 1929)
• October 29 – Heath, bassist (b. 1968)^[45]

• November 2 – Asashio Tarō IV, sumo wrestler (b. 1955)
• November 4 – Kosuke Hori, politician (b. 1934)
• November 9 – Junko Ōhashi, singer (b. 1950)^[46]
• November 10 – Hiroyuki Hosoda, politician (b. 1944)
• November 11 – Masatoshi Wakabayashi, politician (b. 1934)
• November 12 – Kimura Kan (Kan), musician (b. 1962)
• November 15 – Daisaku Ikeda, an honour chairman of Soka Gakkai and founder on Komeito (b. 1928)
• November 19 – Mizuho Suzuki, actor (b. 1927)
• November 29 – Taichi Yamada, screenwriter and novelist (b. 1934)^[47]

• December 7 – Emiko Miyamoto, volleyball player (b. 1937)^[48]
• December 12 – Fusa Tatsumi, supercentenarian (b. 1907)
• December 17 – Terao Tsunefumi, sumo wrestler (b. 1963)
• December 30 – Aki Yashiro, singer (b. 1950)^[49]