Events
- 1874 - Japan launches its postal savings system, modeled after a similar system in England.
- 1882 - Martial law is enacted in Japan.
- 1912 - Japan's first taxicab service begins in Ginza, Tokyo.
- 1944 - World War II: Possibly the biggest prison breakout in history occurs as 545 Japanese POWs attempt to escape outside the town of Cowra, NSW, Australia.
Births
- 1948 - Shin Takamatsu, architect and professor
- 1965 - Motoi Sakuraba, keyboard player and composer
- 1968 - Kendo Kashin, wrestler
- 1972 - Ikuto Hidaka, wrestler
- 1981 - Kō Shibasaki, singer and actress
- 1993 - Suzuka Ohgo, actress
- 1998 - Kanon Suzuki, singer and actress
Deaths
- 1364 - Emperor Kōgon (b. 1313)
- 1991 - Soichiro Honda (b. 1906), engineer and businessman, founded Honda