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2013 in Japan
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2013
Events in the year 2013 in Japan.
Incumbents
Emperor: AkihitoAkihito Biography, Reign, & Facts https://www.britannica.com/biography/Akihito Encyclopedia Britannica 27 March 2019 en
Prime Minister: Shinzō Abe (L–Yamaguchi)
Chief Cabinet Secretary: Yoshihide Suga (L–Kanagawa)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Hironobu Takesaki
President of the House of Representatives: Bunmei Ibuki (L–Kyoto)
President of the House of Councillors: Kenji Hirata (D–Gifu) until July 28, Masaaki Yamazaki from August 2
Diet sessions: 183rd (regular, January 28 to June 26), 184th (extraordinary, August 2 to August 7), 185th (extraordinary, October 15 to December 8)
Governors
Aichi Prefecture: Hideaki Omura
Akita Prefecture: Norihisa Satake
Aomori Prefecture: Shingo Mimura
Chiba Prefecture: Kensaku Morita
Ehime Prefecture: Tokihiro Nakamura
Fukui Prefecture: Issei Nishikawa
Fukuoka Prefecture: Hiroshi Ogawa
Fukushima Prefecture: Yūhei Satō
Gifu Prefecture: Hajime Furuta
Gunma Prefecture: Masaaki Osawa
Hiroshima Prefecture: Hidehiko Yuzaki
Hokkaido: Harumi Takahashi
Hyogo Prefecture: Toshizō Ido
Ibaraki Prefecture: Masaru Hashimoto
Ishikawa Prefecture: Masanori Tanimoto
Iwate Prefecture: Takuya Tasso
Kagawa Prefecture: Naruto Uzumaki
Kagoshima Prefecture: Satoshi Mitazono
Kanagawa Prefecture: Yuji Kuroiwa
Kochi Prefecture: Masanao Ozaki
Kumamoto Prefecture: Ikuo Kabashima
Kyoto Prefecture: Keiji Yamada
Mie Prefecture: Eikei Suzuki
Miyagi Prefecture: Yoshihiro Murai
Miyazaki Prefecture: Shunji Kōno
Nagano Prefecture: Shuichi Abe
Nagasaki Prefecture: Hōdō Nakamura
Nara Prefecture: Shōgo Arai
Niigata Prefecture: Hirohiko Izumida
Oita Prefecture: Katsusada Hirose
Okayama Prefecture: Ryuta Ibaragi
Okinawa Prefecture: Hirokazu Nakaima
Osaka Prefecture: Ichirō Matsui
Saga Prefecture: Yasushi Furukawa
Saitama Prefecture: Kiyoshi Ueda
Shiga Prefecture: Yukiko Kada
Shiname Prefecture: Zenbe Mizoguchi
Shizuoka Prefecture: Heita Kawakatsu
Tochigi Prefecture: Tomikazu Fukuda
Tokushima Prefecture: Kamon Iizumi
Tokyo: Naoki Inose (until 24 December); Tatsumi Ando (starting 24 December)
Tottori Prefecture: Shinji Hirai
Toyama Prefecture: Takakazu Ishii
Wakayama Prefecture: Yoshinobu Nisaka
Yamagata Prefecture: Mieko Yoshimura
Yamaguchi Prefecture: Tsugumasa Muraoka
Yamanashi Prefecture: Shōmei Yokouchi
thumb|Mount Fuji and Tokyo Skytree
Events
January
January 9 – Early reports show Japan’s economy is expected to recover slowly in 2013 under "Abenomics," with fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and a weaker yen.2013-01-09 Japan economy to recover slowly in 2013, underpinned by 'Abenomics' https://www.reuters.com/article/markets/japan-economy-to-recover-slowly-in-2013-underpinned-by-abenomics-idUSL4N0AC6WI/ 2025-08-14 Reuters en
January 13 – January 2013 Northwest Pacific bomb cyclone causes 1,600 injuries across Japan.
January 21 – Human Rights Watch sends a letter to newly inaugurated Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urging Japan to lead the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations and abductions by North Korea.2013-01-21 The Central Role of Japan in Addressing Human Rights Abuses in North Korea Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/21/central-role-japan-addressing-human-rights-abuses-north-korea 2025-08-14 en
March
March 15 – Caroline Kennedy arrives in Tokyo as the U.S. Ambassador, three days before the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination.Jordan Alec 2013-12-26 The stories of the year in 2013 News https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/news-and-opinion/the-stories-of-the-year-in-2013/ 2025-08-14 Tokyo Weekender en
March 17 – Chiba gubernatorial election: Kensaku Morita retains governorship of prefecture.
March 30 – An Advanced Liquid Processing System begins operating at Fukushima Daiichi to improve the treatment of contaminated water.Yamaguchi Mari 2023-08-22 Events at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster https://apnews.com/article/japan-fukushima-nuclear-plant-wastewater-release-c8da4694746f29fe682408f4b37a3a19 2025-08-14 AP News en
April
April 28 – By-election for House of Councillors in Yamaguchi – Kiyoshi Ejima is elected to the House.
June
June to October – 2013 Japanese heatwave, according to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official confirmed report, 1,077 person lost to lives, caused by heat stroke, second worst heatwave disaster in Japan.:ja:2013年の猛暑 (日本) (Japanese language) Retrieved date on July 26, 2017.
June 16 – Shizuoka gubernatorial election – Heita Kawakatsu re-elected.
June 22 – Mount Fuji is formally added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
June 23 – Tokyo legislative election – The Democratic Party of Japan loses control of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly to the Liberal Democratic Party.
July
July 21 – 2013 Japanese House of Councillors election, Hyōgo gubernatorial election
August
August 15 – An explosion at the 2013 Fukuchiyama Firework Festival event kills 3, injures 59.
September
September 7 – The 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina award the rights to host the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo over Istanbul and Madrid.
September 8 – Ibaraki gubernatorial election – Masaru Hashimoto enters his sixth term as governor.
September 15 – Wladimir Balentien breaks the 49-year-old Nippon Professional Baseball home run record with 60 home runs.
October
October 11 – A fire at the Abe Orthopaedic Surgery Hospital in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka kills 10 and injures 5.Kyodo AFP-JIJI Pre-dawn blaze guts hospital for aged in Fukuoka, kills 10 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/11/national/ten-patients-staff-die-in-fukuoka-hospital-fire/ 12 June 2015 The Japan Times October 11, 2013
October – Typhoon Wipha kills at least 17 people in Ōshima, Tokyo; at the request of governor Naoki Inose, GSDF troops are dispatched. On the mainland, the storm causes major traffic disruptions and kills one woman in Machida, Tokyo.The Japan Times, October 16: Typhoon leaves 18 dead on Tokyo isle, in metro area. 42 still missing on Izu-Oshima as dozens of houses collapse
October 27 – Miyagi gubernatorial election: Incumbent governor Yoshihiro Murai's only challenger is JCP-supported lawyer Masaaki Satō.Yomiuri Shimbun, October 10, 2013: 宮城県知事選告示、現職と新人の計2人が届け出
November
November 10Hiroshima electoral commission: 広島県知事選挙及び広島県議会議員補欠選挙の選挙期日等について https://web.archive.org/web/20131017011329/http://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/sennkyokannriiinkai/chijisentoukijitu.html 2013-10-17 – Hiroshima gubernatorial election – Hidehiko Yuzaki re-elected.
November 25 – Human Rights Watch urges revisions to Japan’s draft Special Secrets Bill over concerns about press freedom and whistleblower protections.2013-11-25 Japan: Amend “Special Secrets” Bill to Protect Public Interest Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/25/japan-amend-special-secrets-bill-protect-public-interest 2025-08-14 en
December
December 4 – Washoku is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
December 6 – Special Secrecy Law passes the National DietDecember 7, 2013 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20131206-OYT1T01521.htm 特定秘密保護法が成立...参院、賛成多数で可決 読売新聞 December 14, 2013
December 19 – Naoki Inose announces his resignation as Governor of Tokyo following allegations of dubious loans from the Tokushukai medical group.Kameda Masaaki Inose calling it quits over money scandal http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/12/19/national/politics-diplomacy/inose-calling-it-quits-over-money-scandal/#.VXrZxPlViko 12 June 2015 The Japan Times March 19, 2013
December 26 – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, honoring Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals, drawing international criticism from China, South Korea, and the U.S.Beech Hannah 2014-04-17 Shinzo Abe: The Patriot https://time.com/66275/shinzo-abe-japanese-leader-retakes-world-stage/ 2025-08-14 TIME en
Deaths
January 15 – Nagisa Oshima, director (b. 1932)https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/15/nagisa-oshima Nagisa Oshima obituary Ronald Bergan 15 January 2013 the Guardian 19 April 2018
January 19 – Taihō Kōki, sumo wrestler (b. 1940)Hongo Jun 2013-12-28 In memoriam: Those we lost in 2013 https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/12/28/lifestyle/in-memoriam-those-we-lost-in-2013/ 2025-08-14 The Japan Times en
January 20 – Toyo Shibata, poet (b. 1911)Toyo Shibata: Poet who published her first collection at the age of 98
February 18 – Chieko Honda, voice actress (b. 1963)Voice Actress Chieko Honda Passes Away http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-02-22/voice-actress-chieko-honda-passes-away Anime News Network 22 February 2013 en 22 February 2013 20 October 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171020192522/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-02-22/voice-actress-chieko-honda-passes-away live
April 4 – Noboru Yamaguchi, writer (b. 1972) http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-04-10/zero-no-tsukaima-author-noboru-yamaguchi-passes-away Zero no Tsukaima Author Noboru Yamaguchi Passes Away 2013-04-10 2013-03-11 Anime News Network
April 29 – Shinji Maki, comedian (b. 1934)
June 12 – Jiroemon Kimura, supercentenarian, oldest man ever, world's oldest living person (b. 1897)
June 13 – Kenji Utsumi, actor (b. 1937)2013-06-13 Fist of the North Star's Raoh Voice Actor Kenji Utsumi Passes Away https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-06-13/fist-of-the-north-star-raoh-voice-actor-kenji-utsumi-passes-away 2025-08-14 Anime News Network en
September 2 – Makoto Moroi, composer (b. 1930)
September 19 – Hiroshi Yamauchi, businessman (b. 1927)
October 13 – Takashi Yanase, manga artist (b. 1919)2025-08-14 Search results http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/15/national/takashi-yanase-creator-of-beloved-anpanman-dies-at-94/#.Ul3EBRb1s08 2025-08-14 The Japan Times en The Japan Times
October 28 – Tetsuharu Kawakami, baseball player (b. 1920)
November 8 – Chiyoko Shimakura, singer and TV presenter (b. 1938)2025-08-14 Chiyoko Shimakura - Age, Death, Birthday, Bio, Facts & More - Famous Deaths on November 8th - CalendarZ https://www.calendarz.com/on-this-day/november/8/chiyoko-shimakura 2025-08-14 www.calendarz.com en
November 13 – Chieko Aioi, actress (b. 1934)
December 30 – Eiichi Ōtaki, musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer (b. 1948)大滝詠一さん急死 リンゴ食べている時に - 音楽ニュース Eiichi Ohtaki suddenly passed away while eating an apple https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/f-et-tp0-20131231-1238243.html 2025-08-14 nikkansports.com ja
See also
2013 in Japanese music
2013 in Japanese television
List of Japanese films of 2013
References
2013 in
Japan
Category:2013 by country
Category:Years of the 21st century in Japan
Category:2010s in Japan