istoryworld
Events relating to japan
The Japanese emperor Hirohito renounces his traditional divine status and declares that he is mortal
Twenty-five Japanese defendants are put on trial in Tokyo, charged with war crimes
Ballerina Mikiko Matsuyama and her husband establish a family-run balllet company in Tokyo
Japanese premier Tojo Hideki is convicted in the Tokyo war crimes trial and is hanged
Japanese film director Kurosawa Akira makes an international reputation with Rashomon
Japanese film director Kurasawa Akira directs The Seven Samurai
Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima publishes The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
Karaoke (abbreviated from the Japanese for 'empty orchestra') evolves in Japan
Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima commits suicide in the traditional Samurai manner
The first all-digital synthesizer, the DX7, is put on the market by Yamaha
Philips and Sony jointly introduce a new device, the compact disc
Italian architect Renzo Piano completes Kansai airport, on an artificial island in Osaka bay
Tupac Amaru guerrillas take 460 guests hostage at the Japanese ambassador's Christmas party in Lima, Peru
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, linking Shikoku and Honshu in Japan, creates a new record as the longest suspension bridge
The first module is launched of the International Space Station, a cooperative venture by five space agencies (USA, Russia, Japan, Canada, Europe)
The first mobile phone to include a camera is put on the market in Japan by J-Phone
Lost in Translation, a film directed by Sofia Coppola, depicts the culture shock of an American couple in modern Japan
Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, after sheltering since 2000 in Japan, arrives unexpectedly in Chile
A massive earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan causes a huge tsunami resulting in massive devastation for miles inland
The Japanese tsunami results in a nuclear crisis and massive evacuation because of meltdowns in three reactors at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant
Nearly 20,000 people are killed and more than 125,000 buildings destroyed or severely damaged by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami
China announces a new air defense zone over disputed islands in the East China sea, a measure immmediately challenged by Japan and the USA
Haruko Obakata announces a potentially very significant discovery in Japan, that cells can be converted into stem cells by submersion in a weak acidic solution for half an hour
North Korea test-fires into the sea two medium-range ballistic missiles, capable of reaching Japan or China
