2003 in Japan

2003
in
Japan

Decades:	1980s • 1990s • 2000s • 2010s
See also:	Other events of 2003 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 2003 in Japan.

Incumbents

Emperor: Akihito
Prime Minister: Junichiro Koizumi (L–Kanagawa)
Chief Cabinet Secretary: Yasuo Fukuda (L–Gunma)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Akira Machida
President of the House of Representatives: Tamisuke Watanuki (L–Toyama) until October 10, Yōhei Kōno (L–Kanagawa) from November 19
President of the House of Councillors: Hiroyuki Kurata (L–Chiba)
Diet sessions: 156th (regular, January 20 to July 28), 157th (extraordinary, September 26 to October 10), 158th (special, November 21)

January - Toyota launches all-new Avensis to be built in Britain.
March 19: Extension of the Eidan Hanzomon Line from Suitengumae to Oshiage becomes operational.
March 31: Agriculture Minister Tadamori Oshima resigns due to a farm subsidy scandal; Koizumi replaces him with Yoshiyuki Kamei.
April 1: The Postal Agency becomes Japan Post, a public corporation.
April 1: Saitama becomes a city designated by government ordinance.
April 25: Grand opening of Roppongi Hills.
July 7: Noto Airport opens.
July 26: Diet of Japan authorizes the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq.
August 10: Okinawa Monorail opens.
September 20: Koizumi announces a new cabinet: Taro Aso becomes Minister of Internal Affairs, Shoichi Nakagawa becomes Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Sadakazu Tanigaki becomes Minister of Finance and Yuriko Koike becomes Minister of Environment.
September 26: The Liberal Party merges into the Democratic Party of Japan.
October 1: Shinagawa Station opens platforms for the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
October 10: House of Representatives is dissolved.
November 9: In the Japan general election, 2003, the Democratic Party of Japan realizes a slight gain against the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Years in Japan (1868–present)

Meiji period (1868–1912)

1868 1869 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1877 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912

Taishō period (1912–1926)

1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926

Shōwa period (1926–1989)

1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

Heisei period (1989–present)

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011