1948 in Japan

Events in the year 1948 in Japan.

Incumbents

Supreme Commander Allied Powers: Douglas MacArthur
Emperor: Hirohito
Prime Minister: Tetsu Katayama until March 10, Hitoshi Ashida until October 15, Shigeru Yoshida
Chief Cabinet Secretary: Suehiro Nishio until March 10, Gizō Tomabechi until October 15, Eisaku Satō from October 17
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Tadahiko Mibuchi
President of the House of Representatives: Komakichi Matsuoka until December 23
President of the House of Councillors: Tsuneo Matsudaira
Diet sessions: 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Governors

Aichi Prefecture: Hideo Aoyagi
Akita Prefecture: Kosaku Hasuike
Aomori Prefecture: Bunji Tsushima
Chiba Prefecture: Tamenosuke Kawaguchi
Ehime Prefecture: Juushin Aoki
Fukui Prefecture: Harukazu Obata
Fukuoka Prefecture: Katsuji Sugimoto
Fukushima Prefecture: Kan'ichirō Ishihara
Gifu Prefecture: Kamon Muto
Gunma Prefecture: Shigeo Kitano ; Yoshio Iyoku
Hiroshima Prefecture: Tsunei Kusunose
Hokkaido Prefecture: Toshifumi Tanaka
Hyogo Prefecture: Yukio Kishida
Ibaraki Prefecture: Yoji Tomosue
Ishikawa Prefecture: Wakio Shibano
Iwate Prefecture: Kenkichi Kokubun
Kagawa Prefecture: Keikichi Masuhara
Kagoshima Prefecture: Kaku Shigenari
Kanagawa Prefecture: Iwataro Uchiyama
Kochi Prefecture: Wakaji Kawamura
Kumamoto Prefecture: Saburō Sakurai
Kyoto Prefecture: Atsushi Kimura
Mie Prefecture: Masaru Aoki
Miyagi Prefecture: Saburō Chiba
Miyazaki Prefecture: Tadao Annaka
Nagano Prefecture: Torao Hayashi
Nagasaki Prefecture: Sōjirō Sugiyama
Nara Prefecture: Mansaku Nomura
Niigata Prefecture: Shohei Okada
Oita Prefecture: Tokuju Hosoda
Okayama Prefecture: Hirokichi Nishioka
Osaka Prefecture: Bunzō Akama
Saga Prefecture: Gen'ichi Okimori
Saitama Prefecture: Mizo Nishimura
Shiga Prefecture: Iwakichi Hattori
Shiname Prefecture: Fujiro Hara
Shizuoka Prefecture: Takeji Kobayashi
Tochigi Prefecture: Juukichi Kodaira
Tokushima Prefecture: Goro Abe
Tokyo Prefecture: Seiichirō Yasui
Tottori Prefecture: Aiji Nishio
Toyama Prefecture: Tetsuji Tachi ; Kunitake Takatsuji
Wakayama Prefecture: Shinji Ono
Yamagata Prefecture: Michio Murayama
Yamaguchi Prefecture: Tatsuo Tanaka
Yamanashi Prefecture: Katsuyasu Yoshie

Events

January 1: The Nijūbashi Bridge, a well known double arched stone bridge located between the front and middle gates of the Imperial Palace, is opened to the public
January 4: International telephone service between the United States and Japan is established.
January 5: According to Japan Transport Ministry official confirmed report, when a commuter train was running, following to two passenger cars were derail with damage in Meitetsu Seto Line, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, 36 persons were fatalities, 153 persons were wounded.
January 27 - According to Japan Coast Guard official confirmed report, a passenger ship Joou Maru toward from Osaka to Tadotsu, Kagawa Prefecture route, capsized by touch on landmine off north of Shōdo Island, Seto Inland Sea, 154 persons were official rescue confirmed, 199 passenger and crew were perished.
February 9 - Fujitec was founded, as predecessor name was Fuji Transport Machinery Industry in Nishi-ku, Osaka.
March 9 - Yamazaki Baking founded in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture.
March 10: Hitoshi Ashida becomes prime minister
March 31: According to Japan Transport Ministry official confirmed report, an out of control device commuter train, collision with a standing commuter train in Kawachi-Hanazono Station, Kintetsu Nara Line, Kawachi, Osaka Prefecture, 49 persons were human fatalities.
May 1: Japan Coast Guard founded.
June 28: 1948 Fukui earthquake
August 1: A first issue of Daily Sports published in Kobe.
August 19 - A sitdown strike at Toho film studio ended after the studio was surrounded by 2,000 police and a platoon of U.S. Eighth Army soldiers.
September 17: According to Japanese government official document figures, a flooding river, levee collapse in around Kitakami River area by strong Typhoon Ione hit in northern Honshu, total 848 persons were lost to their lives with 1,956 persons were hurt.
September 24: Honda Motor Company founded.
October 5: Ashida cabinet resigns.
October 15: Shigeru Yoshida becomes prime minister for a second term.
November 1: Kataoka Electronic Company, later Alps Alpine was founded.
November 12: International Military Tribunal for the Far East hands down death sentences for 7 war criminals and imprisonment for 18 others.
December 7: Ashida arrested in connection with the Showa Electric scandal

Births

January 13: Shinji Sōmai, film director
January 18: Ryoko Moriyama, singer
January 24: Machiko Satonaka, manga writer
January 29: Mamoru Mori, astronaut
January 31: Muneo Suzuki, politician
February 13: Eizo Kenmotsu, gymnast
February 15: Seiji Oko, volleyball player
February 19: Kazuo Zaitsu, singer-songwriter
March 8: Kiyomi Kato, wrestler
March 26: Ayumi Ishida, singer and actress
March 28: Takashi Hanyūda, politician
April 12: Tatsue Kaneda, enka singer
April 16: Kazuyuki Sogabe, voice actor
May 15
* Yutaka Enatsu, former professional baseball pitcher
* Kiyoshi Ueda, politician and former Saitama governor
May 26: Jyun Mayuzumi, singer
June 8: Naomi Miyake, cognitive scientist
June 25: Kenji Sawada, singer
July 13: Chinatsu Nakayama, writer and former politician
July 22: Toshio Tamogami, Air Self-Defense Force career military officer
August 8: Bibari Maeda, actress
August 30: Yōsui Inoue, singer-songwriter
October 20: Jun Maki, copywriter
November 3: Takashi Kawamura, politician
November 12: Banjō Ginga, voice actor
November 15: Hiroe Yuki, badminton player
November 29: Yōichi Masuzoe, politician
December 6: Yoshihide Suga, incumbent Prime Minister of Japan
December 11: Shinji Tanimura, singer-songwriter
December 18: Yōichi Fukunaga, former jockey
December 20: Mitsuko Uchida, pianist
Date unknown: Tetsuji Oda, electrical engineer and researcher

Deaths

March 6 - Kan Kikuchi, writer and novelist
April 12 - Masaomi Yasuoka, lieutenant general
April 17 - Kantarō Suzuki, admiral and former prime minister
April 20 - Mitsumasa Yonai, admiral and former prime minister
June 13 - Osamu Dazai, novelist
December 23 - Japanese war leaders :
*Hideki Tōjō, general and former prime minister
*Seishirō Itagaki general
*Heitarō Kimura, general
*Kenji Doihara, general
*Kōki Hirota, diplomat and former prime minister
*Iwane Matsui, general
*Akira Mutō, general