2008 in Japan

yearbox
in?= in Japan
cp=20th Century
c=21st century
cf=22nd century

yp1=2003
yp2=2004
yp3=2005
year=2006
ya1=2007
ya2=2008
ya3=2009
dp3=1970s
dp2=1980s
dp1=1990s
d=2000s
da=0
dn1=2010s
dn2=2020s
dn3=2030s

2008 is the 20th year of Heisei in Japan.

Incumbents

* Prime Minister: Taro Aso

Events

*January 31 - Nine people are hospitalized after eating gyōza made at the Tianyang Food Plant in China. [cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080131a2.html |title=10 sick after eating tainted 'gyoza' from China |date=2008-01-31 |accessdate=2008-02-14 |publisher=The Japan Times |first=Reiji |last=Yoshida]
*February 11 - Okinawa police arrest United States Marine Tyrone Hadnott and charge him with raping a middle-school girl. [cite news |title=Okinawa rape case sparks resentment |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080213a1.html |date=2008-02-13 |accessdate=2008-02-13 |first=Kaho |last=Shimizu |publisher=The Japan Times]
*February 19 - Kei Nishikori wins an ATP title. At age 18, he is the youngest player to win the title after Lleyton Hewitt won it at age 16 in 1998. [cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/st20080219a1.html |title=Nishikori defeats Blake, captures first ATP title |date=2008-02-20 |accessdate=2008-02-19 |publisher=The Japan Times]
*February 19 - A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Atago runs over a fish boat Seitoku Maru at 4.07 am off the coast of Chiba Prefecture. [cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080222a1.html |title=JCG hints destroyer was at fault in collision |date=2008-02-20 |accessdate=2008-02-27]
*February 22 - The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force resumes fueling warships from the United States and its allies. [cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080222a3.html |title=MSDF refueling mission resumed |publisher=The Japan Times |date=2008-02-22 |accessdate=2008-02-22]
*February 22 - Kazuyoshi Miura is arrested in Saipan on suspicion of involvement with the murder of his wife in 1981. [cite news |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/26/america/NA-GEN-US-Japanese-Businessmans-Wife.php |title= Arrest warrant says Japanese businessman orchestrated wife's killing in Los Angeles |publisher=International Herald Tribune |accessdate=2008-03-13]
*February 25 - The Supreme Court upheld life sentence of Daisuke Mori. [cite web|url=http://www.hdrjapan.com/option,com_myblog/show,Top-court-dismisses-nurses-protest-over-life-sentence-for-murdering-patient.html/Itemid,67/|title=Top court dismisses nurse's protest over life sentence for murdering patient|publisher=HDR Japan|date=2008-03-12|accessdate=2008-03-21]
*June 8 - The Akihabara massacre takes place in Tokyo. A man kills seven in an attack on a crowd using a truck and a dagger. [cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/10/internationalcrime.japan|title=Japan: Killer of seven gave online warning of Tokyo rampage|publisher=The Guardian|date=2008-06-10|accessdate=2008-06-17]
*June 14 - the 2008 Iwate earthquake strikes northern Honshū, leaving two dead and hundreds injured. [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/13/japan.earthquake/index.html Strong earthquake rattles Japan] Retrieved June 14, 2008]
*June 17 - Serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki is executed by hanging. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUST7560220080617 Japan hangs serial killer of young girls and 2 others] Retrieved June 17, 2008]
* July 7 - July 9 - G8 is hosted by Japan.
* September 6 - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announces his resignation.
* September 24 - The Diet elects Taro Aso Prime Minister.
* October 1 - Arson claims 15 lives in a pre-dawn fire at an adult-video shop in Osaka. [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/30/japan.fire.ap/index.html Fire kills 15 in Japanese video shop - CNN.com] ]
* October 10 (U.S. Pacific Daylight Time) - Kazuyoshi Miura commits suicide in Los Angeles while under arrest on suspicion of involvement in the murder of his wife. [ [http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/t10014680971000.html# NHKニュース　ロス疑惑 三浦元社長が自殺] Retrieved October 11, 2008]

References