1999 in Japan

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Decades: 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s • 2010s See also: Other events of 1999 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 1999 in Japan.

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)

Events

• 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: Shintaro Ishihara is elected governor of Tokyo.
• June 29: A heavy massibie rain, following devastating flood hit underground shopping mall in Fukuoka, and landslide hit Kure and Hiroshima, according to Japanese official report, at least 32 people lives.^{[citation needed]}
• 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: National Flag and Anthem Act is passed.
• September 29: A man named Yasuake Uwabe drives a car into a crowd and then stabs people, killing five, before being arrested.
• November 10: Diet of Japan holds its first Question Time.
• December 4: Yamagata Shinkansen extension to Shinjō Station opens.

Births

• February 7: Tamaki Matsumoto, child actress.
• May 7: Masaki Sato, j-pop singer
• May 9: Nozomi Ōhashi, child actor and singer.
• October 27: Haruka Kudō, singer.
• October 28: Riko Yoshida, child actor.

Deaths

• January 31: Shohei Baba, professional wrestler
• February 21: Hideo Itokawa, rocket scientist
• March 11: Kaoru Tada, manga artist
• March 23: Kazue Takahashi, voice actress
• April 9: Emiko Kado, professional wrestler
• April 13: Masaji Kiyokawa, backstroke swimmer
• April 19: Shijaku Katsura, rakugo performer
• April 29: Denzo Ishizaki, supercentenarian
• June 24: Kōzō Murashita, singer and songwriter
• July 16: Hiromi Yanagihara, J-pop singer
• July 21: Jun Etō, literary critic
• August 2: Meisei Goto, author
• August 9: Jackie Sato, professional wrestler
• September 16: Utaemon Ichikawa, actor
• September 22: Noriko Awaya, Soprano chanson and ryūkōka singer
• September 22: Tomoo Kudaka, football player
• October 3: Akio Morita, businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation
• October 26: Kazuhito Komatsu, murder victim
• November 1: Minoru Chiaki, actor
• November 3: Shingo Tachi, racing driver
• November 29: Kaoru Iwamoto, go player
• November 29: Kazuo Sakamaki, naval officer
• December 4: Daishōhō Masami, sumo wrestler