Events
- 1937 - Toyota Motors becomes an independent company.
- 1953 - Nippon Television broadcasts Japan's first television show, including its first TV advertisement.
- 1971 - The dollar is allowed to float against the yen for the first time.
Births
- 1025 - Emperor Go-Reizei (d. 1068)
- 1840 - Alexander Cameron Sim (d. 1900), Scottish-Japanese pharmacist and businessman, founded Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club
- 1951 - Keiichi Suzuki, singer-songwriter and actor
- 1965 - Satoshi Tajiri, video game designer, founded Game Freak
- 1966 - Yoko Takahashi, singer
- 1974 - Takahito Eguchi, pianist and composer
- 1974 - Kaori Mizuhashi, voice actress
- 1975 - Yūko Gotō, voice actress
Deaths
- 2007 - Miyoshi Umeki (b. 1929), Japanese-American actress and singer