Portal:Japan/Anniversaries/February/February 3
Events
- 1607 - Sarugaku (a kind of circus-like performance) is held at Edo Castle. (Traditional Japanese Date: Seventh Day of the First Month, 1607)
- 1835 - Kunitomo Tōbē of Ōmi Province begins his scientific observation of sunspots. (Traditional Japanese Date: Sixth Day of the First Month, 1835)
- 1851 - John Manjirō returns to the Ryūkyū Islands (modern day Okinawa). (Traditional Japanese Date: Third Day of the First Month, 1851)
- 1867 - Emperor Meiji becomes the 122nd emperor.
- 1875 - The first international shipping lane is opened between Yokohama and Shanghai.
- 1901 - Fukuzawa Yukichi, best known as the founder of Keiō University, dies.
- 1944 - World War II: United States troops capture the Marshall Islands from Japanese forces.
- 1945 - World War II: The Soviet Union agrees to enter the Pacific Theatre conflict against Japan.
- 1972 - The Eleventh Winter Olympics are held in Sapporo where Yukio Kasaya becomes the first Japanese ever to win a gold medal. Yukio Kasaya and two other from Japan won all three medals in the 70 meter jump, prompting people to refer to them as the "flying hinomaru."
Births
- 1954 - Toshie Negishi, actress
- 1959 - Yasuharu Konishi, DJ, producer, and songwriter
- 1986 - Kanako Yanagihara, actress, comedian, and entertainer
- 1995 - Tao Tsuchiya, actress
- 1999 - Kanna Hashimoto, singer
Deaths
- 1428 - Ashikaga Yoshimochi (b. 1386), shogun
Holidays, observances, and anniversaries