1948 in Japan

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««« 1947 1946 1945	1948 in Japan	»»» 1949 1950 1951
Decades: 1920s • 1930s • 1940s • 1950s • 1960s See also: Other events of 1948 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 1948 in Japan.

Incumbents

• Supreme Commander Allied Powers: Douglas MacArthur
• Emperor: Hirohito
• Prime Minister: Tetsu Katayama (S–Kanagawa) until March 10, Hitoshi Ashida (D–Kyōto) until October 15, Shigeru Yoshida (L–Kōchi, 2nd term, 1st under the Constitution of the State of Japan)
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Suehiro Nishio (S–Ōsaka) until March 10, Gizō Tomabechi (D–Aomori) until October 15, Eisaku Satō (not Diet member) from October 17
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Tadahiko Mibuchi
• President of the House of Representatives: Komakichi Matsuoka (S–Tokyo) until December 23
• President of the House of Councillors: Tsuneo Matsudaira (Ryokufūkai–Fukushima)
• Diet sessions: 2nd (regular session opened in December 1947, to July 5), 3rd (extraordinary, October 11 to November 30), 4th (regular, from December 1 to dissolution on December 23)

Events

This section requires expansion.

• March 10: Hitoshi Ashida becomes prime minister
• May 1: Japan Coast Guard founded.
• September 24: Honda Motor Company founded.
• October 5: Ashida cabinet resigns.
• October 15: Shigeru Yoshida becomes prime minister for a second term.
• 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 (died 2001)
• January 29: Mamoru Mori, astronaut
• January 31: Muneo Suzuki, politician
• February 13: Eizo Kenmotsu, gymnast
• February 15: Seiji Oko, volleyball player
• March 8: Kiyomi Kato, wrestler
• March 26: Ayumi Ishida, singer and actress
• April 16: Kazuyuki Sogabe, voice actor (died 2006)
• October 20: Jun Maki, copywriter (died 2009)
• November 12: Banjō Ginga, voice actor
• November 15: Hiroe Yuki, badminton player

Deaths

• 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: Hideki Tōjō, Seishirō Itagaki, Heitarō Kimura, Kenji Doihara, Kōki Hirota, Iwane Matsui and Akira Mutō executed.