1912 in Japan

← 1911 1910 1909 1912 in Japan → 1913 1914 1915
Decades:	1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s
See also:	Other events of 1912 List of years in Japan

Events in the year 1912 in Japan. In the history of Japan, it marks the final year of the Meiji period (Meiji 45) upon the death of Emperor Meiji on July 30, and the beginning of the Taishō Period (Taishō 1) under the reign of his son Emperor Taishō.

Incumbents

• Emperor:
  • Emperor Meiji (until July 30)
  • Emperor Taishō (starting July 30)
• Prime Minister:
  • Saionji Kinmochi (until December 21)
  • Katsura Tarō (starting December 21)

Events

• January 21 – Japan's first skiing competition is held at Takada in Niigata Prefecture.
• March 27 – Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki gives 3,000 Cherry blossom trees to be planted in Washington, D.C., to symbolize the friendship between the two countries.^[1]
• May 5–July 22 – Japan competes at the Summer Olympic Games for the first time at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.
• May 15 – Japanese general election, 1912: The result was a victory for the Rikken Seiyūkai party, which won 209 of the 381 seats. The 381 members of the House of Representatives were elected in 51 multi-member constituencies based on prefectures and cities. Voting was restricted to men aged over 25 who paid at least 10 yen a year in direct taxation.^[2]
• July 30 – Emperor Meiji dies. He is succeeded by his son Yoshihito who becomes Emperor Taishō. In the history of Japan, the event marks the end of the Meiji period and the beginning of the Taishō period.
• September 13 – Burial of Emperor Meiji in Kyoto.

Births

• January 1 – Toshia Mori, actress (d. 1995)
• February 3 – Kazuo Dan, novelist and poet (d. 1976)
• February 29 – Taiichi Ohno, industrial engineer and businessman (d. 1990)
• April 22 – Kaneto Shindo, film director and producer (d. 2012)
• August 2 – Masaaki Iinuma, aviator, flew the first Japanese-built aircraft from Japan to Europe (d. 1941)
• October 4 – Hirohide Fushimi, Navy career Officer (d. 1943)

Deaths

• March 13 – Nishi Tokujirō politician and diplomat (b. 1847)
• April 2 – Ishimoto Shinroku, general (b. 1854)
• April 13 – Takuboku Ishikawa, poet (b. 1886)
• April 28 – Yuri Kimimasa, politician (b. 1829)
• July 30 – Emperor Meiji, 122nd Emperor of Japan (b. 1852)
• September 13:
  • Nogi Maresuke, general and Governor-General of Taiwan (suicide) (b. 1849)
  • Nogi Shizuko, wife of Nogi Maresuke (suicide) (b. 1859)
• Unknown – Toyohara Chikanobu, woodblock artist (b. 1838)

References