← 1918 1917 1916 1919 in Japan → 1920 1921 1922
Decades:	1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s
See also:	Other events of 1919 History of Japan  • Timeline  • Years

Events in the year 1919 in Japan. It corresponds to Taishō 8 (大正8年) in the Japanese calendar.

Incumbents

• Emperor: Taishō^[1]
• Prime Minister: Hara Takashi

Events

• January 8 – The Maeda Corporation is established.
• January 18 – The Paris Peace Conference opens at the Palace of Versailles, France.^[2] Japan sent a large delegation headed by the former Prime Minister, Marquess Saionji Kinmochi. It was originally one of the "big five" but relinquished that role because of its slight interest in European affairs. Instead it focused on two demands: the inclusion of their racial equality proposal in the League's Covenant and Japanese territorial claims with respect to former German colonies, namely Shantung (including Kiaochow) and the Pacific islands north of the Equator (the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Mariana Islands, and the Carolines). Makino Nobuaki was technically de facto chief while Saionji's role was symbolic and limited by his ill health.
• February 13 – Japan proposed the inclusion of a "racial equality clause" in the Covenant of the League of Nations as an amendment to Article 21.^[3]
• March 1 – March 1st Movement: one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan takes place when 33 activists convene at Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul and read the Korean Declaration of Independence. The activists initially planned to assemble at Tapgol Park in downtown Seoul, but chose a more private location out of fear that the gathering might turn into a riot. The leaders of the movement signed the document and sent a copy to the Governor-General of Korea.^[4]
• June 28 – Japan signs the Treaty of Versailles, formally ending World War I.
• October 12 – Olympus was founded.
• November 1 – Food Industry Company, as predecessor of Kewpie, founded in Nakano, Tokyo.
• December 1
  • Osaka Transformer Manufacturing, as predecessor of Daihen was founded.
  • Toyo Lenoleum, later Toli was founded in Hyogo Prefecture.
• Unknown date – Konan Junior Highschool, later Konan University founded in Higashinada-ku, Kobe.
• Ongoing – Spanish Flu pandemic

Births

• January 1 – Yoshio Tabata, singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
• March 20 – Toshio Ōta, aviator (d. 1942)
• March 23 – Mitsuko Mito, film actress (d. 1981)
• September 23 – Tōta Kaneko, writer (d. 2018)
• October 8 – Kiichi Miyazawa, 78th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2007)^[5]
• date unknown - Akeo Watanabe, orchestral conductor (d. 1990)

Deaths

• January 5 – Sumako Matsui, actress and singer (suicide) (b. 1886)
• January 14 – Asako Hirooka, businesswoman, banker and feminist (b. 1849)
• January 17 – Arichi Shinanojō, admiral (b. 1843)
• February 18 – Ōyama Sutematsu, first Japanese woman to receive a college degree (b. 1860)
• February 19 – Fukushima Yasumasa, general (b. 1852)
• March 7 – Yatarō Mishima, businessman, banker and the 8th Governor of the Bank of Japan, (b. 1867)
• March 25 – Tatsuno Kingo, architect (b. 1854)
• April 23 – Prince Tsunehisa Takeda, major general (b. 1882)
• May 11 – Watanabe Kunitake, politician (Minister of Finance) (b. 1846)
• June 4 – Tokudaiji Sanetsune, politician (Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan) (b. 1840)
• July 16 – Itagaki Taisuke, politician and leader of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (b. 1837)
• October 26 – Akashi Motojiro, general, Governor-General of Taiwan, (b. 1864)
• October 29 – Soyen Shaku, Zen Buddhist master (b. 1860)
• November 3 – Terauchi Masatake, military officer, politician and former Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1852)^[6]

See also

• List of Japanese films of the 1910s

References