1999 in Japan

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Incumbents

Emperor: Akihito
Prime Minister: Keizo Obuchi (L–Gunma)
Chief Cabinet Secretary: Hiromu Nonaka (L–Kyōto) until October 5, Mikio Aoki (Councillor, L–Shimane)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Shigeru Yamaguchi
President of the House of Representatives: Sōichirō Itō (L–Miyagi)
President of the House of Councillors: Jūrō Saitō (L–Mie)
Diet sessions: 145th (regular, January 19 to August 13), 146th (extraordinary, October 29 to December 15)

January 1: Telephone numbers in Osaka are extended to ten digits, and mobile phone numbers throughout Japan are extended to eleven.
March 3: The Bank of Japan announces its zero interest rate policy.
April 11: Tokyo gubernatorial election, 1999 - Shintaro Ishihara is elected governor of Tokyo.
June 29: A heavy massive rain, following devastating flood hit underground shopping mall in Fukuoka, and landslide hit Kure and Hiroshima, claiming, according to Japanese official report, at least 32 people lives.
July 1: NTT is divided into a holding company, NTT, and three telecom companies, NTT East, NTT West and NTT Communications.
July 23: ANA Flight 61 survives a hijacking attempt and lands safely.
July 31: Rock band Glay gathers about the audiences of 200,000 people at a specially installed pay parking lot of Makuhari Messe in Chiba and hold a Japanese historical concert.
August 9: The Act on National Flag and Anthem is passed.
September 8: Hiroshi Zota randomly attacks passers-by near Ikebukuro Station with a hammer and kitchen knife, killing two and injuring eight.^[1]
September 29: Yasuaki Uwabe drives a car into Shimonoseki Station and then stabs people, killing five, before being arrested.^[2]
November 10: Diet of Japan holds its first Question Time.
December 4: Yamagata Shinkansen extension to Shinjō Station opens.

Years in Japan (1868–present)

Meiji period (1868–1912)

1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 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 2012 2013 2014 2015