Events
- 1871 - Postal service is established among Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. (Traditional Japanese Date: Twenty-fourth Day of the First Month, 1871)
- 1873 - Marriage between Japanese and non-Japanese is permitted for the first time.
- 1970 - World Expo '70 opens in Osaka with 77 countries participating. Among the exhibits were moon rocks from the United States and the Soviet Union.
- 1985 - The Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen (bullet train) begins service as the first train leaves Ueno Station.
- 1991 - A girder falls at the construction site of an overhead tram line, killing 14 people.
- 1992 - The Nozomi (a bullet train) makes its debut on the Tōkaidō line. The increased speed of the new train shaves 30 minutes off of the trip from Tokyo to Osaka, shortening it to 2 1/2 hours.
Births
- 1911 - Akira Yoshizawa (d. 2005), origamist
- 1961 - Hiro Matsushita, race car driver
- 1962 - Narumi Tsunoda, voice actress
- 1977 - Aki Hoshino, model and author
- 1977 - Naoki Matsuda (d. 2011), footballer
- 1979 - Yoko Shibui, runner
- 1990 - Leena, model
- 1990 - Haru Kuroki, actress
Film and television
- 2015 - Kaze ni Tatsu Lion, a drama film starring Takao Osawa, Satomi Ishihara, Yōko Maki, and Masato Hagiwara
Holidays, observances, and anniversaries