2009 in Japan
Events in the year 2009 in Japan.
Incumbents
Events
January
February
March
- March 1 – Kyushu Railway Company inaugurates SUGOCA rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system in Fukuoka Prefecture.
- March 3 – The chief secretary of Ichirō Ozawa, head of the DPJ is arrested on suspicion of accepting illegal corporate donations from Nishimatsu Construction.[11]
- March 4 – 2-trillion-yen stimulus plan, which allows one-time cash handout of 12,000 yen per person, and additional 8,000 yen for age 18 and under and 65 and older, is approved by a two-thirds majority of the House of Representatives, after rejection by the opposition-controlled House of Councillors.[12]
- March 13 – Nonlife insurers Sompo Japan Insurance and Nipponkoa Insurance essentially agree to integrate their businesses in April 2010.[13]
- March 14 – Two JMSDF destroyers set sail for Somalia to patrol for pirates, embarking on the first overseas mission of its kind for Japan.[14]
- March 22 – The residence of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in Oiso, Kanagawa is destroyed by fire.[15]
- March 23 – FedEx Express Flight 80 from Guangzhou, China, crashes on landing and burst into flames at Narita International Airport at 6:48 am, killing the pilot and copilot and closing the main runway for an entire day.[16]
- March 31 – The largest Internet mall operator Rakuten asks the Tokyo Broadcasting System to buy back its 19.83 percent stake, putting an end to its long dispute with TBS over the proposal.[17]
April
May
June
- June 1 – A modification of the law on sales of medications takes effect. The law classifies products into three categories and allows over-the-counter sales of two at convenience-stores and supermarkets with a registered sales agent present, while requiring a pharmacist to oversee sales of the third category. Convenience stores begin sales of vitamins, analgesics and cold remedies.[27]
- June 1 – Amended Road Traffic Law, which requires 75 years or older people to take mandatory cognitive function tests upon renewal of their licenses, goes into effect.[28]
- June 4 – Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office decides to release Toshikazu Sugaya, who allegedly sentenced indefinite imprisonment for kidnapping and murderng a 4-year-old girl in Ashikaga, Tochigi, after 17 years of imprisonment, due to the result of fresh DNA test which proved that his case was false imprisonment.[29]
- June 4 – Inauguration of Shizuoka Airport.[30]
- June 16 – 10 climbers lost their lives in the Taisetsu mountain range in Hokkaido. Hokkaido Police raided the head office and a local branch of Amuse travel on suspicion of improper management of a guided tour on June 18.[31]
July
August
- August 3 – The first trial by jury for over 60 years, first time under the new Jury system, is started at the Tokyo Regional Court.[36]
- August 10 – A massive heavy rain, following devastate flood and landslide in Sayo, Hyogo, which killed 18 people.
- August 11 – A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck Shizuoka Prefecture, killing one and more than 100 injured, part of the Tomei Expressway is collapsed due to landslide occurred right below.[37]
- August 15 – 2009 flu pandemic:The first confirmed case of death by H1N1 influenza infection reported in Okinawa.
September
October
November
December
Prefectural elections
- January 25 – Yamagata gubernatorial election: Mieko Yoshimura, supported by Democrats, Social Democrats and Communists as well as some national level Liberal Democrats, narrowly beats LDP-supported incumbent governor Hiroshi Saitō. Gifu gubernatorial election: Incumbent Hajime Furuta wins reelection against only one Communist challenger.
- March 29 – Chiba gubernatorial election: Supported by parts of the Liberal Democratic Party, former actor Eiji Suzuki (stage name: Kensaku Morita) beats centre-left supported Taira Yoshida and three other contenders to succeed retiring two-term governor Akiko Dōmoto, a former Socialist Diet member.
- April 12 – Former Akita city mayor Norihisa Satake wins the Akita gubernatorial election against DPJ-supported Hiroshi Kawaguchi and two other candidates. Three-term governor Sukeshiro Terata had retired to eventually turn to national politics in 2010.
- July 5 – The Shizuoka gubernatorial election is held to elect a successor of Yoshinobu Ishikawa who had resigned over delays in the opening of the controversial Shizuoka airport. With support from centre-left parties, Heita Kawakatsu narrowly defeats centre-right supported former Councillor for Shizuoka Yukiko Sakamoto and two other candidates. In the Hyōgo gubernatorial election, governor Toshizō Ido is reelected with broad support from non-Communist parties.
- July 12 – In the most populous prefecture of Tokyo, the LDP suffers a major defeat, losing its status as strongest party in the assembly for the first time since the 1960s. The loss increases the pressure on LDP president Tarō Asō to resign or call early elections for the national lower house.
- August 30 – Ibaraki gubernatorial election: Masaru Hashimoto wins a fifth term against LDP supported Masato Obata and four other candidates.
- October 25 – In the Miyagi gubernatorial election, governor Yoshihiro Murai clearly defeats DPJ supported Yasuo Endō and a Communist to win a second term in office.
- November 8 – Former METI bureaucrat Hidehiko Yuzaki beats 4 other candidates in the Hiroshima gubernatorial election to succeed retiring Yūzan Fujita.
Deaths
- January 3 - Hisayasu Nagata, politician (born 1969)
- March 1 - Takashi Ishimoto, butterfly swimmer (born 1935)
- March 8 - Takahiro Itō, actor and voice actor (born 1987)
- March 25 - Yukio Endo, gymnast (born 1937)
- May 26 - Kaoru Kurimoto, novelist (born 1953)
- June 11 - Sumire, model (born 1987)
- June 13 - Mitsuharu Misawa, wrestler (born 1962)
- June 19 - Tomoji Tanabe, supercentenarian (born 1895)
- June 22 - Jun Maki, copywriter (born 1948)
- June 27 - Nanae Sasaki, athlete (born 1956)
- July 5 - Takeo Doi, psychoanalyst (born 1920)
- July 21 - Yoshinori Kanada, animator (born 1952)
- August 3 - Reiko Ohara, actress (born 1946)
- August 9 - Jasmine You, musician (born 1979)
- August 18 - Hildegard Behrens, German opera singer (born 1937)
- September 11 - Yoshito Usui, manga artist
- October 4 - Shōichi Nakagawa, politician (born 1953)
- October 17 - Kazuhiko Kato, musician (born 1947)
- October 21 - Yōko Minamida, actress (born 1933)
- November 10 - Hisaya Morishige, actor and comedian (born 1913)
- November 13 - Hideo Den, news presenter and politician (born 1923)
References
- ↑ "93,000 Aomori homes waterless". The Japan Times. 2009-01-03. Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Disgraced DPJ member dies in apparent suicide". The Japan Times. 2009-01-05. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Doctor back home after Somalia ordeal". The Japan Times. 2009-01-14. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Nishimatsu linked to dubious donations". The Japan Times. 2009-01-16. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan". Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "EDITORIAL Volcano watch on a budget". The Japan Times. 2009-02-11. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Volcano alert system successful". The Japan Times. 2009-02-03. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Kajima consultant held for alleged tax dodge". The Japan Times. 2009-02-11. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Orix, Japan Post drop Kampo no Yado deal". The Japan Times. 2009-02-14. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ Hosaka, Tomoko A. (2009-02-17). "Japan finance chief quits over alleged drunkenness". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
- ↑ "Key Ozawa aide arrested over illegal funds". The Japan Times. 2009-03-03. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Cash handout a waste, many voters say". The Japan Times. 2009-03-05. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Nipponkoa and Sompo to merge". The Japan Times. 2009-03-13. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Antipiracy task force heads for Somalia". The Japan Times. 2009-03-15. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Famous Yoshida home gutted". The Japan Times. 2009-03-23. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "FedEx jet crashes at Narita; pilots die". The Japan Times. 2009-03-24. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Rakuten seeks TBS buyback". The Japan Times. 2009-04-01. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "US outlines plans to curb nuke weapons". Business Mirror. April 5, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-11. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
- ↑ "U.N. Security Council to meet on N. Korea launch". Cable News Network. April 5, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
- ↑ "Imperial Couple happy on 50th anniversary". The Japan Times. 2009-04-10. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Hayashi's death penalty finalized". The Japan Times. 2009-04-22. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "153 Days of Exciting Experiences, Spanning the Centuries". The Association for 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the Port of Yokohama. Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Epidemiological investigation of a novel influenza A (H1N1) outbreak detected by entry screening, Narita, Japan, 2009 -- Preliminary report". Infectious Disease Surveillance Center. 2009-05-22. Archived from the original on 20 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Komuro gets suspended sentence". Mainichi Newspapers quoted from Mainichi Weekly. 2009-05-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "20-year term for fatal accident". Asahi Shimbun. 2009-05-16. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Jury is still out on Japan’s new lay judge system". Kyodo News. 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ コンビニ各社 大衆薬の販売開始 24時間対応や相談窓口設置(Copyright 2009 SANKEI DIGITAL INC.)(フジサンケイ ビジネスアイ) - Yahoo!ニュース (Retrieved on June 2, 2009)
- ↑ "elderly driving behAvior And cognitive functions" (PDF). IATSS. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Miscarriage of justice could be turning point for Japan's justice system". Irishtimes. 2009-07-28. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "EDITORIAL Justifying a new airport". Japan Times. 2009-07-19. Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Police raid travel agency over fatal Hokkaido climbing tour". Japan Times. 2009-07-19. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Spacewalking astronauts prepare Kibo space lab". Mainichi Newspapers and Associated Press. 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Japanese Parliament Is Dissolved". Reuters. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ↑ "Full solar eclipse turns day to night in Asia". Yahoo! News quoted from The Associated Press. 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Mission Possible". Mainichi Newspapers quoted from Mainichi Weekly. 2009-08-07. Archived from the original on September 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Japan holds first jury trial for 60 yearsdate=2009-08-03". RIA Novosti. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ Tabuchi, Hiroko (2009-08-11). "Second Japanese Earthquake in Days Injures 100". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "Japan's new first lady says rode UFO to Venus". Reuters. September 2, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ "Japan Democrats agree coalition". BBC News. September 9, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/ex-finance-minister-nakagawa-found-dead-at-tokyo-home
- ↑ O'Neill, Sean; Hamilton, Fiona (October 5, 2009). "Former Japanese finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa found dead". The Times (London). Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20091008p2a00m0na024000c.html
- ↑ "Japan pop star trial draws crowd". BBC News. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ "Three hurt in rare Japan shooting". BBC News. November 6, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ "Japanese protest against US base". BBC News. November 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ Fountain, Henry (November 13, 2009). "2 Sunken Japanese Subs Are Found Off Hawaii". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
- ↑ http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20091113p2a00m0na002000c.html Archived November 18, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑
- ↑ http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20091128p2a00m0na014000c.html
- ↑ "Japan in $81bn stimulus package". BBC News. December 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
- ↑ http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/2-bodies-found-after-
msdf-helicopter-crash