2026 in Japan

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2026 History of Japan  • Timeline  • Years

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Events in the year 2026 in Japan.

Incumbents

• Emperor: Naruhito
• Prime Minister: Sanae Takaichi (Liberal Democratic)
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Minoru Kihara (Liberal Democratic)
• Chief Justice: Yukihiko Imasaki
• Speaker of the House of Representatives: Fukushiro Nukaga (Liberal Democratic)
• President of the House of Councillors: Masakazu Sekiguchi (Liberal Democratic)

Events

January

• January 1 – Hachijuni Bank and Nagano Bank merge to form Hachijuni Nagano Bank. ^[1]
• January 4 – A collision caused by tea leaves spilled from a moving truck involving 12 vehicles in Sano, Tochigi, leaves one person dead and three others injured. ^[2]
• January 5 – A 243 kg (536 lb) bluefin tuna is sold for a record ¥510 million (US$3.2 million) at the Toyosu Market in Tokyo. ^[3]
• January 6 –
  • A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Tottori and Shimane Prefectures, injuring seven people. ^[4]
  • China bans the export of dual-use items, with military applications, to Japan, citing contentious statements made by the Japanese government regarding tensions with Taiwan. ^[5]
• January 8 – A wildfire breaks out in the mountains of Ōtsuki and Uenohara, Yamanashi, burning at least 16 hectares (40 acres) of forest. ^[6]
• January 12 – Former mayor Akira Ogawa is re-elected as the mayor of Maebashi in a special election following her resignation in November 2025. ^[7]
• January 14 –
  • The Nikkei 225 sets an all-time high closing at 54,341 points. ^[8]
  • An ACSL SOTEN recon unmanned aerial vehicle of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force goes missing during a training flight in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture. ^[9]
• January 15 –
  • Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda and Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito agree to form a new political party. ^[10]
  • Japan and the Philippines sign an agreement allowing their defense forces to exchange logistical support. ^[11]
• January 16 –
  • A power outage in Tokyo causes an eight-hour delay in train services, resulting in five people being hospitalized. ^[12]
  • The mayor of Yokohama, Takeharu Yamanaka, issues a public apology after a city official accuses him of making disparaging remarks on staff. ^[13]
• January 17 – The 2026 Common Test for University Admissions is held across Japan. ^[14]
• January 20 – A sightseeing helicopter carrying three people, including two Taiwanese nationals, goes missing near Mount Aso. ^[15]
• January 21 –
  • Tetsuya Yamagami is sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of Shinzo Abe in 2022. ^[16]
  • The No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant is reactivated for the first time since 2011. ^[17]
• January 22 – Hirofumi Yoshimura resigns as governor of Osaka Prefecture. ^[18]
• January 23 – Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolves the House of Representatives at the start of the regular Diet session. ^[19]
• January 25 – Takato Ishida wins the 2026 Fukui gubernatorial election. ^[20]
• January 26 – The Tokyo District Court orders North Korea to pay ¥ 88 million( US$ 801,822.32) in compensation to four Zainichi Koreans who were lured to move to the country through propaganda schemes but instead experienced inappropriate conditions before escaping. ^[21]
• January 27 – Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, the last giant pandas in Japan sent there as part of China's Panda diplomacy, leave the Ueno Zoo. ^[22]
• January 29 – Three suitcases containing 420 million yen (US$2.7 million) in cash are stolen in a robbery near Ueno Station in Tokyo. ^[23]

February

• February 2 – Japan announces the retrieval of sediment containing rare earth minerals at a depth of 6,000 m (20,000 ft) below sea level off the coast of Minamitorishima. ^[24]
• February 3 – Kindai University announces that blackthroat seaperch has been successfully cultivated for the first time. ^[25]
• February 8 –
  • 2026 Japanese general election: The LDP becomes the first party in postwar Japan to win a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, winning 316 out of 465 seats. ^[26]
  • 2026 Yamaguchi gubernatorial election: Incumbent Tsugumasa Muraoka was reelected for a fourth term. ^[27]
  • 2026 Nagasaki gubernatorial election: Ken Hirata defeated the incumbent Kengo Oishi ^[28]
  • 2026 Osaka gubernatorial election: Hirofumi Yoshimura (One Osaka) is reelected as governor. ^[29]
  • 2026 Osaka mayoral election: Hideyuki Yokoyama (One Osaka) is reelected as mayor. ^[29]
• February 12 – The Fisheries Agency seizes a Chinese fishing boat and its 11 crew inside the Exclusive economic zone of Japan off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture. ^[30]
• February 13 – Junya Ogawa is elected as the new leader for the Centrist Reform Alliance. ^[31]

Predicted and scheduled events

• March 8 – 2026 Ishikawa gubernatorial election is scheduled to be held. ^[32]
• March 31 – NHK Radio 2 is scheduled to be shut down after 95 years of airing. ^[33]
• April 5 – 2026 Kyoto gubernatorial election is scheduled to be held. ^[34]
• May 31 – 2026 Niigata gubernatorial election is scheduled to be held. ^[35]
• Autumn – The restoration of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa is scheduled to be fully completed. ^[36]

Ongoing

• China–Japan diplomatic crisis (since November 2025)

Elections

• 2026 Japanese general election
• 2026 Japanese local elections
• 2026 Osaka gubernatorial election
• 2026 Osaka mayoral election

Arts and entertainment

• 2026 in anime
• 2026 in Japanese music
• 2026 in Japanese television
• List of 2026 box office number-one films in Japan
• List of Japanese films of 2026
• 39th Tokyo International Film Festival

Sports

• Japan at the 2026 Winter Olympics (6 to 22 February 2026)
• September 19 – October 4 – The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi Prefecture, including Nagoya. ^[37]
• TBA – The 2026 World Lacrosse Women's World Championship will be held in Tokyo. ^[38]
• March 29 – 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
• July 25-26 – 2026 Tokyo ePrix
• October 4 – 2026 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix
• May 3 – 162th Tennō Shō Spring ^[39]
• November 1 – 173rd Tennō Shō Autumn ^[40]
• December 27 – 71st Arima Kinen ^[41]
• 2026 F4 Japanese Championship
• 2026 Super Formula Championship
• 2026 Super Formula Lights
• 2026 Super GT Series
• 2026-27 in Japanese football
• 2026 J1 100 Year Vision League
• 2026-27 J1 League
• 2026-27 J2 League
• 2026-27 J3 League
• 2026-27 Japan Football League
• 2026-27 Japanese Regional Leagues
• 2026 Japanese Super Cup
• 2026-27 Emperor's Cup
• 2026-27 J.League Cup

Deaths

January

• January 1 –
  • Yatsushi Iwashita, education support activist (b. 1949) ^[42]
  • Hiroshi Kume, television and radio presenter (b. 1944)
• January 2 – Toshio Fujii, politician (b. 1942). ^[43]
• January 5 – Aoi Fujino, gravure idol (b. 1998) ^[44]
• January 7 – Hiroya Ebina, politician (b. 1959) ^[45]
• January 8 – Hiroshi Nakamura, visual artist (b. 1932) ^[46]
• January 9 – Ai, Western chimpanzee, subject of cognition studies ^[47]
• January 10 – Ritsuko Nagao, politician (b. 1933) ^[48]
• January 11 –
  • Takashi Ono, mathematician (b. 1928) ^[49]
  • Kōtarō Kodama, politician (b. 1934) ^[50]
• January 20 – Kōzō Shioya, voice actor (b. 1955) ^[51]
• January 21 –
  • Daiwa Major, Thoroughbred racehorse (b. 2001) ^[52]
  • Yōichi Higashi, film director (b. 1934) ^[53]
• January 22 – Hifumi Katō, shogi player (b. 1940) ^[54]
• January 29 – Sentoryū Henri, sumo wrestler (b. 1969) ^[55]
• January 31 – Kazuhiko Hasegawa, film director (b. 1946) ^[56]

February

• February 1 – Nobuhiko Ochiai , journalist and novelist (b. 1942) ^[57]
• February 4 – Tōsha Meishō, hayashi musician (b. 1941) ^[58]

See also

Country overviews

• Japan
• History of Japan
• Outline of Japan
• Government of Japan
• Politics of Japan
• Years in Japan
• Timeline of Japanese history

Related timelines for current period

• 2026
• 2020s
• 2020s in political history

References

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5. Power, John (January 7, 2026). "China bans export of dual-use items to Japan amid tensions over Taiwan". Al Jazeera . Retrieved January 8, 2026.
6. "[Chūkei eizō] Yamanashi sanrin kasai hi no fushimatsu nado kara moehirogatta ka" 【中継映像】山梨 山林火災 火の不始末などから燃え広がったか [[Live video] Yamanashi forest fire spread due to careless handling of fire]. NHK (in Japanese). January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
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14. "Daigaku nyūgaku kyōtsū tesuto shonichi "berusaiyunobara" tsukatta mondai mo" 大学入学共通テスト初日「ベルサイユのばら」使った問題も [The first day of the Common University Entrance Examination included a question using "The Rose of Versailles"]. NHK (in Japanese). January 17, 2026. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
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18. "Denaoshi Ōsakafu chiji-sen ga kokuji, Yoshimura-shi-ra 3-ri ga rikkōho shuyō seitō wa miokuri" 出直し大阪府知事選が告示、吉村氏ら3人が立候補 主要政党は見送り [Re-election of Osaka gubernatorial election announced, Yoshimura and three others running; major parties refrain from running]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
19. "Japan's Takaichi dissolves parliament after only 3 months in office, setting up snap election". AP News . January 23, 2026. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
20. "Fukui kenchiji tōsen no ishida shi "tan'itsu minzoku kokka" hatsugen "teisei shitai"" 福井県知事当選の石田氏 “単一民族国家”発言「訂正したい」 [Fukui Prefecture Governor-elect Ishida: "I would like to correct my remarks about Japan being a mono-ethnic nation"]. NHK (in Japanese). January 26, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
21. "Japan court orders compensation for migrants lured to North Korea". BBC . January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
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23. "Street robbers steal US$2.7 million in cash in rare Tokyo heist". Channel News Asia . January 30, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
24. "Japan retrieves rare earth-rich mud from seabed to lower reliance on China". AP News . February 2, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
25. 近畿大学 世界初の“ノドグロの完全養殖に成功”と発表 [Kinki University announces the world's first "success in fully-fledged aquaculture of blackthroat seaperch"]. NHK (in Japanese). February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
26. "Japanese stocks surge as Takaichi secures historic election victory". BBC . February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
27. "山口県知事選、村岡氏の得票率69・11% 投票率30年ぶり5割超え" [Yamaguchi gubernatorial election: Muraoka receives 69.11% of votes, voter turnout exceeds 50% for first time in 30 years]. Chugoku Shimbun (in Japanese). February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
28. Ichinomiya, Fuminari (February 9, 2026). "長崎県知事選、平田氏が初当選 現職との保守分裂選制す【最終得票、当選者略歴】" [Nagasaki Prefectural Gubernatorial Election: Hirata Wins First Election, Splits Conservatives with Incumbent [Final Vote Count, Winner's Profile]]. Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved February 14, 2026.
29. "JIP's Yoshimura, Yokoyama reelected in Osaka gubernatorial, mayoral race". Kyodo News . February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
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31. "After heavy defeat, Japan's Centrist Reform Alliance elects new leader". Nikkei Asia . February 13, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
32. "Ishikawa kenchiji senkyo, 2026-nen 2 tsuki 19-nichi kokuji 3 gatsu 8-nichi tōkaihyō" 石川県知事選挙、2026年2月19日告示・3月8日投開票 [Ishikawa Prefectural Gubernatorial Election: Announcement on February 19, 2026, Voting on March 8]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). December 18, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
33. Inoue, Sho (November 28, 2025). "Sōmu-shō ga NHK no "rajio dai 2 hōsō" haishi o ninka 2026-nen 3 getsumatsu made ni hōsō shūryō e" 総務省がNHKの「ラジオ第2放送」廃止を認可 2026年3月末までに放送終了へ [The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications approves the abolition of NHK's "Radio 2" broadcasting, which will end by the end of March 2026.]. ITmedia (in Japanese). Retrieved January 27, 2026.
34. "Kyōto no kotoshi no senkyo Ayabe shichō o kawagiri ni 6 shichō de shuchō-sen, 4 gatsu ni chiji-sen" 京都の今年の選挙 綾部市長を皮切りに6市町で首長選、4月に知事選：朝日新聞 [Kyoto Elections This Year: Mayoral elections in six cities and towns, starting with the Ayabe mayoral election, followed by the gubernatorial election in April]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 1, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
35. "(# Seikan-kai fairu) Nīgata chiji-sen wa 5-gatsu 31-nichi" （＃政官界ファイル）新潟知事選は５月３１日 [(#Politics-Bureau File) Niigata gubernatorial election on May 31st]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 23, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
36. Kaneko, Kazefumi (August 8, 2025). "Shuri-jo Castle's main hall has a new facade 6 years after fire". The Asahi Shimbun . Retrieved January 27, 2026.
37. "2026 Asian Games to be held in autumn to avoid summer heat in Japan". Xinhua. August 19, 2018. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
38. Elliot McGowan (January 23, 2025). "Tokyo to host 2026 Women's Lacrosse Championship". Inside the Games .
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42. 【訃報】岩下八司さんが死去 バングラデシュ支援NPOの代表 - 丹波新聞 (in Japanese). January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
43. 藤井俊男さん死去 元民主党参院議員 [Former Democratic Party House of Councillors member Toshio Fujii passes away]. Hokkaido Shimbun (in Japanese). January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
44. 元グラドル藤乃あおいさん死去 27歳 親族が発表 23年に希少がんを公表 闘病続けていた. Sponichi (in Japanese). January 9, 2026. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
45. 北海道・前釧路市長の蝦名大也さん（67）死去 議員秘書や北海道議などを経て4期16年釧路市長 防災インフラの整備に尽力 関係者からも悼む声 [Former Kushiro Mayor Daiya Ebina (67) passes away. He served as secretary to a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and served as mayor for four terms (16 years). He contributed to the development of disaster prevention infrastructure. His family mourns him.]. TBS News (in Japanese). January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
46. 画家・中村宏さん死去 砂川闘争描いた「ルポルタージュ絵画」. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
47. "Genius Chimpanzee Ai Dies at Age 49, Primate Known for Enthusiastic Role in Research on Learning, Memory". The Japan News. January 11, 2026. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
48. 元全社協会長、長尾立子氏逝く 女性初の法務大臣 [Former president of the Japan Federation of Associations, Tatsuko Nagao, passes away; first female Minister of Justice]. Fukushi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 19, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
49. Takashi Ono, 1928–2026
50. 児玉更太郎さん（こだま・こうたろう＝元安芸高田市長. Chugoku Shimbun (in Japanese). January 11, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
51. Cayanan, Joanna (January 28, 2026). "Dragon Ball's Majin Buu Voice Actor Kōzō Shioya Dies at 71". Anime News Network . Retrieved January 31, 2026.
52. G1・５勝の25歳ダイワメジャーが息を引き取る　種牡馬でも活躍「本当に立派」. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Yahoo! News Japan. January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
53. "Eiga kantoku no higashiyōichi-san shikyo "sādo" "hashinonaikawa"" 映画監督の東陽一さん死去 「サード」「橋のない川」 [Yoichi Azuma, film director of "The Third" and "River Without a Bridge," passes away]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
54. "Former shogi master Hifumi Kato dies at 86". Japan Times . Jiji Press. January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
55. 元幕内・戦闘竜が死去、56歳、03年に引退し格闘家へ転身、元大関魁皇の浅香山親方は29日にお見舞いも体調急変し会えず [Former Makuuchi wrestler Sentoryu has passed away at the age of 56. He retired in 2003 and became a martial artist. Former Ozeki Kaio's stablemaster Asakayama visited him on the 29th but was unable to meet due to his sudden deterioration in health.]. Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 30, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
56. 映画監督の長谷川和彦さん死去 80歳 代表作に「青春の殺人者」 [Film director Kazuhiko Hasegawa passes away at age 80. His most famous work is "Murderer of Youth."]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). February 1, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
57. 国際ジャーナリスト・作家の落合信彦さん死去 84歳 老衰のため 息子は落合陽一氏. Oricon . February 1, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
58. 長唄鳴物の人間国宝、藤舎名生さんが84歳で死去 [Living National Treasure Nagauta narimono player Tōsha Meishō passes away at age 84]. Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.