2005 in Japan

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Decades: 1980s • 1990s • 2000s • 2010s See also: Other events of 2005 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 2005 in Japan.

Incumbents

• Emperor: Akihito
• Prime Minister: Junichiro Koizumi (L–Kanagawa)
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Hiroyuki Hosoda (L–Shimane) until October 31, Shinzo Abe (L–Yamaguchi)
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Akira Machida
• President of the House of Representatives: Yōhei Kōno (L–Kanagawa) until August 8 and again from September 21
• President of the House of Councillors: Chikage Ōgi (L–proportional)
• Diet sessions: 162nd (regular, January 21 to August 8), 163rd (special, September 26 to November 1) – 162nd and 163rd Diet are also often referred to as yūsei kokkai, "postal Diet"

Events

• February 17: Chubu Centrair International Airport opens.
• March 16: The Shimane Prefecture assembly declares "Takeshima Day" to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (known as Takeshima in Japan, and Dokdo in Korea), starting a wave of protests in South Korea.

Expo 2005 in Aichi

• March 25: Expo 2005 opens in Aichi Prefecture.
• April 1: Shizuoka City is designated by government ordinance.
• April 1: The Japan-Mexico free trade agreement becomes effective.
• April 25: 107 commuters are killed in the Amagasaki rail crash near Osaka.
• August 8: Postal service privatization, the keystone of Prime Minister Koizumi's platform, is voted down in the House of Councillors. Later in the day, Koizumi announces the dissolution of the House of Representatives and snap elections to be held the following month.
• August 24: The Tsukuba Express line opens.
• September 11: In the Japan general election, 2005, the Liberal Democratic Party wins the largest House of Representatives majority in postwar history, holding a two-thirds supermajority along with coalition partner New Komeito.
• September 17: Seiji Maehara defeats Naoto Kan for the presidency of the Democratic Party of Japan.
• September 21: Koizumi is re-elected as prime minister at an extraordinary session of the Diet.
• September 25: Expo 2005 ends.
• October 14: The Postal Privatization Bill enters the Diet.
• October 31: Koizumi reshuffles his cabinet, naming Shinzo Abe as Chief Cabinet Secretary, Heizo Takenaka as Minister of Internal Affairs and Taro Aso as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• November 15: Princess Sayako marries commoner Yoshiki Kuroda, thus giving up her imperial title.
• November 17: Structural Calculation Forgery Problem is discovered, and it becomes a serious social problem.
• December 25: An Akita-Niigata of Inaho Inaho Express crash by strong wind in Uetsu Line, Shonai, Yamagata, with kill 5 people and injure 32. [1]
• Unknown date: Japanese official abndoned national project and development of superconducting passenger ferry Techno Superliner, due to high fuel cost.^{[citation needed]}

Births

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Deaths

• January 4: Kishibe Shigeo, musicologist (born 1912)
• January 14: Takeshi Suzuki, professor of Urdu (born 1932)
• January 16: Yoshito Matsushige, photojournalist (born 1913)
• January 23: Mutsuko Sakura, actress (born 1921)
• February 19: Kihachi Okamoto, film director (born 1924)
• February 28: Yukio Koshimori, politician (born 1930)
• March 6: Sadako Kurihara, poet (born 1913)
• April 20: Fumio Niwa, author (born 1904)
• May 23: Tetsuya Ishida, painter (born 1973)
• June: Satoru Anabuki, flying ace (born 1921)
• June 10: Yumiko Kurahashi, writer (born 1935)
• June 28: Yumika Hayashi, AV idol and pink film actress (born 1970)
• July 3: Kohachi Shigetaka, supercentenarian (born 1895)
• July 11: Shinya Hashimoto, wrestler (born 1965)
• July 16: Gu, Prince Imperial Hoeun (born 1931)
• July 19: Toku Nishio, actor and voice actor (born 1939)
• August 12: Teruo Ishii, film director (born 1924)
• November 4: Hiro Takahashi, singer, lyricist, and composer (born 1964)
• November 4: Mana Nishiura, drummer (born 1971)
• November 6: Minako Honda, idol pop star and singer (born 1967)
• November 22: Airi Kinoshita, murder victim (born 1998)
• November 25: Yoshio Shiga, fighter ace (born 1914)
• November 26: Takanori Arisawa, composer and arranger (born 1951)
• December 10: Sayano Horimoto, murder victim (born 1993)
• Undated: Masao Sasakibara, figher ace (born 1921)

Statistics

• Wealthiest person in Japan: Nobutada Saji (net worth 5.8 billion USD)