1949 in Japan

Decades:	1920s; 1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s;
See also:	Other events of 1949; History of Japan • Timeline • Years

Events in the year 1949 in Japan.

Incumbents

Supreme Commander Allied Powers: Douglas MacArthur
Emperor: Hirohito^[1]
Prime Minister: Shigeru Yoshida (L–Kōchi, 3rd term from February 16)
Chief Cabinet Secretary: Eisaku Satō (not Diet member→L–Yamaguchi) until February 16, Kaneshichi Masuda (L–Nagano)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Tadahiko Mibuchi
President of the House of Representatives: vacant until February 11, Kijūrō Shidehara (L–Ōsaka)
President of the House of Councillors: Tsuneo Matsudaira (Ryokufūkai–Fukushima) until November 14, Naotake Satō (Ryokufūkai–Aomori) from November 15
Diet sessions: 5th (special, February 11 to May 31), 6th (extraordinary, October 25 to November (?)), 7th (regular, December 4 to 1950, May 2)

January 23 - 1949 Japanese general election
January 26 – Horyuji fire in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture.^{[page needed]}
March Unknown date – Mens Shop Ogori, as predecessor of Uniqlo was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture.^{[citation needed]}
May 16: Opening of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Stock Exchanges.
May 25: Ministry of International Trade and Industry formed.
June 1: Japanese National Railways become independent of the Ministry of Transportation.
July 5 - Shimoyama incident
July 15 - Mitaka incident
August 17 - Matsukawa derailment
September 15: First limited express trains begin operation on JNR lines.
October: Hideki Yukawa becomes the first Japanese winner of a Nobel Prize.
December 1
- Izumi Real Estate, later, Sumitomo Realty & Development was founded.^{[page needed]}
- Marubeni was established that separate from Itochu.^{[citation needed]}

^ "Hirohito | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 March 2019.