2015 in Japan
The following lists events that happened during 2015 in Japan.
Incumbents
Events
January
February
- February 1 - JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industry conduct its first launch of a Information Gathering Satellite with the aid of H-IIA rocket F-27 from Tanegashima Space Center.[9]
- February 17 - The Supreme Court finalizes the death sentence for Tomohiro Kato, the man convicted of killing seven people and wounding 10 others in an indiscriminate rampage in Akihabara district, Tokyo in June 8, 2008.[10]
- February 20 - The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau arrests Tsutomu Shirosaki, a Japanese Red Army member, for attempted arson associated with a 1986 mortar attack in Indonesia as he returned to Narita Airport following his release from a prison the US in January and deportation in February.[11]
- February 23 - Agricultural Minister Koya Nishikawa resigns over a fundraising scandal and is succeeded by Yoshimasa Hayashi, whom Nishikawa replaced as agriculture minister in September 2014.[12]
- February 26
- The Supreme Court endorses punishment issued by Kaiyukan, an aquarium in Osaka, including suspensions, against two male managers for sexual harassment, overturning the ruling by Osaka High Court that said the penalties were too heavy, making the first decision over such issues by the Japanese Supreme Court.[13]
- Prince William makes his first visit to Japan, visiting Fukushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture, the areas affected by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.[14]
March
- March 2 - Rugby World Cup Ltd. and the Rugby World Cup 2019 organizing committee announce 12 venues, including a new stadium to be built in Kamaishi, Iwate, a city affected by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, to host 2019 Rugby World Cup matches.[15]
- March 3 - Paul Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft and philanthropist, announces that he has discovered Japanese battleship Musashi, more than 70 years after it was sunk by the United States Navy, in Sibuyan Sea, Philippines.[16]
- March 10
- Surpreme Court reject prosecutors' claims that a 41-year-old man from Osaka Prefecture evaded 570 million yen in taxes by failing to declare income from betting on horse races, confirming that money lost betting on horses can, for tax purposes, be considered expenses deductible from winnings.[17]
- FamilyMart and UNY Group Holdings, the holding company of Circle K Sunkus, reach an agreement to merge in September 2016, forming the second biggest convenience store operator by sales in Japan, under a single brand name.[18]
- Yukio Hatoyama, a former Prime Minister and a former leader of the DPJ, makes a personal visit to Crimea, despite urges by the Japanese government not to visit, entering the territory with a Russian visa, which is against the policy of Japanese government. Georgy Muradov, deputy prime minister of the pro-Russian Crimean Republic, met Hatoyama at Simferopol International Airport.[19]
- March 12 - A 46-year-old man, arrested in Hawaii in 2014 for a murder case which occurred in 2007, admits after entering a guilty plea at a court in San Diego that he killed his Japanese wife and left her body in the Anza-Borrego Desert, California. [20]
- March 14 - Hokuriku Shinkansen starts its service between Nagano Station and Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture, cutting travel time between Tokyo Station and Kanazawa stations by about eighty minutes to as little as two hours and twenty-eight minutes.[21]
- March 18 - Three Japanese were killed and another three were injured in Bardo National Museum attack occurred in Tunis, Tunisia[22]
- March 24 - Two Japanese nationals were killed in the crash of Germanwings flight 9525.[23]
- March 27 - Main Keep of Himeji Castle, one of the National Treasures of Japan as well as a Cultural property of the World Heritage Site, has reopened to the public after a major five-year face-lift.[24]
April
- April 8 - Narita Airport has opened new Terminal 3, designated for Low-cost carriers.[25]
- April 8 - 9 - Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have made a first visit to Palau, attending a reception hosted by President of Palau Tommy Remengesau, which President of the Federated States of Micronesia Manny Mori and President of the Marshall Islands Christopher Loeak also attend. On the following day, the Emperor and the Empress have made their visit to the island of Peleliu, where some 10,000 soldiers of Japanese Imperial Army had been killed while countering U.S. forces in 1944.[26]
- April 10 - Nikkei 225 index has reached 20,006.00 in the first few minutes of trade, passing 20,000 level first time since April 2000.[27]
- April 12 - In the first round of Japanese unified local elections, all 10 incumbent governors and 4 mayors of designated cities run for the campaigns have been re-elected.[28]
- April 14
- April 17 - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has met Takeshi Onaga, Governor of Okinawa Prefecture for the first time to push ahead with the government plan to relocate a U.S. military base in Futenma to the proposed location around Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, but failed to reach agreement over the relocation.[32]
- April 22
Culture
Arts and entertainment
Sports
- January 23
- Yokozuna Grand Champion Hakuhō Shō wins his 33rd career championship with two days to spare at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Ryogoku Kokugikan, surpassing the record of 32 titles he shared with sumo legend Taiho Koki, who made the long-lasting record in 1971.[36]
- The Japan national football team loses to UAE in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw at a quarterfinal match of 2015 AFC Asian Cup, making their first dropout as early as the quarterfinal of the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Cup in 19 years since they have lost to Kuwait 0-2 at the quarterfinal of the 1996 edition, when the national team had never made it to the FIFA World Cup yet.[37]
- February 3 - The Japan Football Association(JFA) fires Javier Aguirre as the manager of Japan national football team, as Aguirre has been involved in an ongoing match-fixing investigation, over the Real Zaragoza's 2-1 win against Levante UD on the final day of the 2010–11 La Liga, when Aguirre was the head coach of Zaragoza.[38]
- February 21 - Takashi Uchiyama, the super featherweight champion of the World Boxing Association, is promoted to the status of super champion.[39]
- March 12 - The JFA announces that Vahid Halilhodžić has been named as the new manager of Japan national football team.[40]
- March 13 - Yu Darvish, a pitcher of Major League Baseball club Texas Rangers, announces that he has decided to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, which likely will sideline Darvish until early 2016. [41]
- March 14-22 - 2015 World Women's Curling Championship is held at Tsukisamu Gymnasium, Sapporo[42]
- March 15 - Yusuke Suzuki sets the new 20km race walk world record of 1:16:36, breaking the former world record set by Yohann Diniz by 26 seconds, at the Asian Race Walking Championships.[43]
- March 28 - Yoshihide Kiryu has run the men's 100 meters at 9.87 seconds to win the men's invitational sprint at the Texas Relays, making the fastest ever electronically recorded performance by an Asian sprinter under any conditions. [44]
- April 4 - Mieko Nagaoka has become the first 100-year-old in the world to complete a 1,500-meter freestyle swimming in a time of just over 1 hour and 15 minutes, using a backstroke the whole way, in a 25-meter pool.[45]
- September 8-23 - 2015 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup is held at 6 venues in 5 cities over Japan.
Deaths
January
February
March
April
References
- ↑ "Honda Fined for Violations of Safety Law". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). 2015-01-08. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Japan Cabinet OKs record military budget with eye on China". Associated Press. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ↑ "Australia-Japan FTA Enters Into Force". Asia Briefing (Asia Briefing Ltd.). 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Abe meets Jordanian king, agrees to help counter Islamic State threats". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Okada elected as head of struggling DPJ after runoff". Mainichi Japan (The Mainichi Newspapers). 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Islamic State threatens two Japanese captives in video". 20 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ↑ "Japan PM Abe condemns hostage 'death' video". 25 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ↑ "UPDATE 3-Japanese carrier Skymark files for bankruptcy, blames Airbus". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Japanese H-IIA launches with IGS spy satellite". NASASpacdflight.com (NASASpaceflight). 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Top court finalizes death sentence over 2008 Akihabara murder rampage". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Japanese Red Army member arrested upon return from U.S.". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Japan Agriculture Minister Nishikawa Resigns". The Wall Street Journal (The Wall Street Journal). 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Top court backs Kaiyukan on sex harassment suspensions". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Prince William’s Itinerary in Japan to Include Tohoku Visit". The Wall Street Journal (The Wall Street Journal). 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Rugby: Tsunami-ravaged Kamaishi among 12 cities named to host Rugby World Cup 2019 games". Mainichi Japan (The Mainichi Newspapers). 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "‘Huge’ WWII Japanese battleship Musashi has been found, billionaire Paul Allen says". The Washington Post (The Washington Post). 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Supreme Court confirms lost bets on horse racing should be considered expenses". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Japan's FamilyMart, UNY to merge in September 2016". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ↑ "Hatoyama visits Crimea, met by pro-Russian official". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ "Honolulu man pleads guilty to killing wife in California". Honolulu Star Advertiser (staradvertiser.com). 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
- ↑ "Hokuriku Shinkansen service extends to Kanazawa Saturday". The Japan News (The Yomiuri Shimbun). 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
- ↑ "Three Japanese women killed in Tunisia museum attack". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
- ↑ "Two Japanese feared dead in French Alps plane crash; voice recorder found". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
- ↑ "Donjon of famed Himeji Castle reopens to long lines after huge renovation". The Asahi Shimbun (The Asahi Shimbun Company). 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
- ↑ "24-hour terminal for low-cost carriers opens at Narita". The Asahi Shimbun (The Asahi Shimbun Company). 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
- ↑ "Emperor Akihito Visits Former Pacific Island Battlegrounds". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.). 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
- ↑ "NIKKEI 20,000". Business Insider (Business Insider Inc.). 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
- ↑ "Opposition must step up its game". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Ltd.). 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
- ↑ "Only natural for South Korea to lift departure ban on Sankei ex-chief". Chicago Tribune (Chicago Tribune). 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
- ↑ "Japan Court Halts Restart of Two Nuclear Reactors". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.). 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
- ↑ "Asiana Pilots Ordered More Training After 2nd Crash-Landing". Bloomberg (Bloomberg L.P.). 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Japan’s Abe Vows to Proceed with U.S. Base Relocation". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.). 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
- ↑ "Japan court rejects attempt to block Sendai reactor restart". BBC News (BBC). 2015-04-22. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
- ↑ "Drone Found at Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Office". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.). 2015-04-22. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
- ↑ "Man arrested for landing 'radioactive' drone on Japanese Prime Minister's roof". independend.co.uk (The Independent). 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ↑ "Sumo: Hakuho wins record 33rd championship". Mainichi Japan (Mainichi Newspapers). 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ↑ "Japan 1-1 United Arab Emirates (AET - 4-5 pens): Cup holders crash out as Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda miss spot kicks". The Daily Mail (Associated Newspapers Ltd). 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ↑ "JFA fires embattled manager Aguirre". The Japan Times (The Japan Times Limited). 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ↑ "Uchiyama and Walters made 'super' champions; Cuellar elevated to full status by the WBA". World Boxing News (World Boxing News). 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ↑ "Bosnian Halilhodzic to Manage Japan National Soccer Team". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.). 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
- ↑ "Yu Darvish to miss 2015 season". espn.com (ESPN Internet Ventures). 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
- ↑ "Venue announced for the World Women’s Curling Championship 2015". worldcurling.org. World Curling Federation. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
- ↑ "Yusuke Suzuki breaks 20km race walk world record". Athletics Weekly (Athletics Weekly Limited). 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ↑ "Athletics: Kiryu runs wind-assisted 9.87". Mainichi Daily News (Mainichi Newspapers). 2015-03-29. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
- ↑ "Meet the 100-year-old Japanese swimmer who set a 1,500-meter world record". washingtonpost.com (The Washington Post). 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2015-04-08.