2003 in Japan

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Decades: 1980s • 1990s • 2000s • 2010s See also: Other events of 2003 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 2003 in Japan.

Incumbents

• Emperor: Akihito
• Prime Minister: Junichiro Koizumi (L–Kanagawa)
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Yasuo Fukuda (L–Gunma)
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Akira Machida
• President of the House of Representatives: Tamisuke Watanuki (L–Toyama) until October 10, Yōhei Kōno (L–Kanagawa) from November 19
• President of the House of Councillors: Hiroyuki Kurata (L–Chiba)
• Diet sessions: 156th (regular, January 20 to July 28), 157th (extraordinary, September 26 to October 10), 158th (special, November 21)

Events

Mori Tower, the centerpiece of Roppongi Hills, opened in April.

• January - Toyota launches all-new Avensis to be built in Britain.
• March 19: Extension of the Eidan Hanzomon Line from Suitengumae to Oshiage becomes operational.
• March 31: Agriculture Minister Tadamori Oshima resigns due to a farm subsidy scandal; Koizumi replaces him with Yoshiyuki Kamei.
• April 1: The Postal Agency becomes Japan Post, a public corporation.
• April 1: Saitama becomes a city designated by government ordinance.
• April 25: Grand opening of Roppongi Hills.
• July 7: Noto Airport opens.
• July 26: Diet of Japan authorizes the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq.
• August 10: Okinawa Monorail opens.
• September 20: Koizumi announces a new cabinet: Taro Aso becomes Minister of Internal Affairs, Shoichi Nakagawa becomes Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Sadakazu Tanigaki becomes Minister of Finance and Yuriko Koike becomes Minister of Environment.
• September 26: The Liberal Party merges into the Democratic Party of Japan.
• October 1: Shinagawa Station opens platforms for the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
• October 10: House of Representatives is dissolved.
• November 9: In the Japan general election, 2003, the Democratic Party of Japan realizes a slight gain against the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Births

• November 1: Kanon Kasuga, actress

Deaths

• January 12: Kenji Fukasaku, film director
• February 28: Yō Inoue, voice actress
• March 25: Masato Furuoya, actor
• April 7: Masato Yamanouchi, voice actor
• April 8: Maki Ishii, composer
• April 17: Koji Kondo, football player
• April 20: Daijiro Kato, motorcycle racer
• May 1: Kenji Yoshida, animation film director and film producer
• July 8: Etsuko Inada, figure skater
• September 5: Yūji Aoki, manga artist
• October 31: Kamato Hongo, oldest person in the world
• November 1: Toshitaka Shimizu, voice actor
• November 13: Mitoyo Kawate, oldest person in the world
• December 26: Yoshio Shirai, boxer
• Undated: Masahiro Yoshimura, swimmer