2001 in Japan

Years in Japan:	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Centuries:	20th Century · 21st century · 22nd century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

2001 was the 13th year of Heisei in Japan.

[edit] Incumbents

Junichiro Koizumi became prime minister in April.

February 9: The fishing boat Ehime Maru is struck by a U.S. submarine and sunk.
March 31: Universal Studios Japan opens.
April 1: Sakura Bank and Sumitomo Bank merge to form Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
April 6: Japanese government institutes new overtime regulations.
April 24: Junichiro Koizumi defeats Ryutaro Hashimoto in LDP polls to become prime minister.
April 26: Koizumi announces his first cabinet, with Makiko Tanaka as foreign minister and Heizo Takenaka as Minister of State for the Economy.
June 8: Osaka school massacre takes place.
July 13: Osaka is removed on the first ballot for the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
July 20: Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away premieres; it becomes the first anime film to win an Academy Award.
July 29: Japan upper house election, 2001.
August 13: Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine.
September 4: Tokyo DisneySea opens.
September 12: In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Nikkei 225 index drops below 10,000 for the first time since 1984.
December 1: Princess Aiko, potential heiress to the Imperial throne, is born.
December 9: Television performer Masashi Tashiro is arrested for peeping in a male bath-house.
December 21: TIME removes Masashi Tashiro from its "Person of the Year" poll after 2channel users vote the "bad boy" performer into first place.