2003 in Japan

← 2002 2001 2000 2003 in Japan → 2004 2005 2006
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2003 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 2003 in Japan.

Incumbents

• Emperor: Akihito
• Prime Minister: Junichiro Koizumi (L–Kanagawa)
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Yasuo Fukuda (L–Gunma)
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Akira Machida
• President of the House of Representatives: Tamisuke Watanuki (L–Toyama) until October 10, Yōhei Kōno (L–Kanagawa) from November 19
• President of the House of Councillors: Hiroyuki Kurata (L–Chiba)
• Diet sessions: 156th (regular, January 20 to July 28), 157th (extraordinary, September 26 to October 10), 158th (special, November 21)

Events

File:Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (2006.05.05).jpg

Mori Tower, the centerpiece of Roppongi Hills, opened in April.

January

• January: Toyota launches all-new Avensis to be built in Britain.
• January 14: Koizumi visits the Yasukuni Shrine.
• January 27: All Nippon Airways Flight 908 overshoots the runway at Narita International Airport.
• January 29: Asashōryū Akinori becomes the first Mongol to reach the rank of yokozuna in sumo wrestling.

March

• March 19: Extension of the Eidan Hanzomon Line from Suitengumae to Oshiage becomes operational.
• March 31: Agriculture Minister Tadamori Oshima resigns due to a farm subsidy scandal; Koizumi replaces him with Yoshiyuki Kamei.

April

• April 1
  • The Postal Agency becomes Japan Post, a public corporation.
  • Saitama becomes a city designated by government ordinance.
  • Square Co., Ltd. and Enix Corporation merge to become Square Enix.
• April 11: An explosion at a fireworks factory in Kagoshima kills 10.
• April 15: Tokyo Disneyland celebrates its 20th anniversary.
• April 25: Grand opening of Roppongi Hills.

May

• May 9: The unmanned spacecraft Hayabusa is launched from Uchinoura Space Center.

July

• July 7: Noto Airport opens.
• July 26: Diet of Japan authorizes the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq.

August

• August 10: Okinawa Monorail opens.

September

• September 20: Koizumi announces a new cabinet: Taro Aso becomes Minister of Internal Affairs, Shoichi Nakagawa becomes Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Sadakazu Tanigaki becomes Minister of Finance and Yuriko Koike becomes Minister of Environment.
• September 23: Nissan begins production at a plant in Canton, Mississippi, United States.
• September 26: The Liberal Party merges into the Democratic Party of Japan.

October

• October 1: Shinagawa Station opens platforms for the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
• October 10
  • House of Representatives is dissolved.
  • The last wild crested ibis in Japan dies.

November

• November 9: In the 2003 general election, the Democratic Party of Japan realizes a slight gain against the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Births

• November 1: Kanon Kasuga, actress

Deaths

• January 12: Kinji Fukasaku, film director
• February 28: Yō Inoue, voice actress
• March 25: Masato Furuoya, actor
• April 7: Masato Yamanouchi, voice actor
• April 8: Maki Ishii, composer
• April 17: Koji Kondo, football player
• April 20: Daijiro Kato, motorcycle racer
• May 1: Kenji Yoshida, animation film director and film producer
• July 8: Etsuko Inada, figure skater
• September 5: Yūji Aoki, manga artist
• October 11: Sadateru Arikawa, aikido teacher
• October 31: Kamato Hongo, oldest person in the world
• November 1: Toshitaka Shimizu, voice actor
• November 13: Mitoyo Kawate, oldest person in the world
• December 26: Yoshio Shirai, boxer
• Undated: Masahiro Yoshimura, swimmer