Timeline for August 2023

1

Toyota announces that its operating profit for the period from April to June 2023 was ¥1.12 trillion, up 94% from the same period the previous year. It is the first time that a Japanese company has had a quarterly operating profit of more than ¥1 trillion.

2

Chūgoku Electric Power Company announces that it plans to conduct a survey together with Kansai Electric Power Company on the feasibility of constructing of a temporary storage facility in Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, for spent nuclear fuel from power plants. On August 18, Kaminoseki Mayor Nishi Tetsuo says he will permit the survey.

4

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Akimoto Masatoshi resigns as parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs after Tokyo prosecutors raid his offices in relation to suspected bribery from a wind farm operator. On August 5, he leaves the LDP.

United Nations Human Rights Council experts hold a press conference in Tokyo concerning sexual exploitation at the Johnny and Associates talent agency, saying that allegations have come to light that there were hundreds of victims of abuse.

Pichamon Yeophantong (left) and Damilola Olawuyi of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights at a press conference in Tokyo on August 4, 2023. (© Jiji)

5

Japan defeats Norway 3–1 in the round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, advancing to the quarterfinal for the second successive tournament. On August 11, it loses 2–1 to Sweden.

Miyazawa Hinata (center) scores her fifth goal of the tournament in the 81st minute against Norway in Wellington, New Zealand, on August 5, 2023. (© Jiji)

6

Hiroshima marks 78 years since the city’s atomic bombing with a ceremony in the Peace Memorial Park, at which there are representatives from a record 111 countries. On August 9, Nagasaki holds a ceremony on the anniversary of its bombing. It is an indoor event for the first time since 1963, due to the approach of a tropical storm.

9

Ohtani Shōhei becomes the first player in Major League Baseball history to win at least 10 games as a pitcher and hit at least 10 home runs in the same season for the second time after the Los Angeles Angels defeat the San Francisco Giants.

Ohtani Shōhei in action during the victory against the San Francisco Giants on August 9, 2023. (© AFP/Jiji)

12

Mourners hold a memorial service for the first time since 2019 for the 520 victims of Japan’s deadliest plane crash, which took place on August 12, 1985, in Gunma Prefecture.

15

An official ceremony is held in Tokyo to mark 78 years since the end of World War II. For the fourth successive year, there is a reduced number of participants as a measure to prevent COVID-19 infections.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead in Tokyo on August 15, 2023. (© Jiji)

As Typhoon Lan approaches, Shinkansen services are suspended between Nagoya and Okayama. Heavy rainfall in Shizuoka Prefecture on August 16 leads to further Shinkansen disruption, which continues through August 17, affecting travelers returning from trips to family homes during the summer Obon period.

A crowded Shinkansen platform at Shin-Osaka Station on August 16. (© Jiji)

18

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, US President Joe Biden, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol meet at Camp David. The three leaders affirm a new era of partnership between their countries, outlining their future cooperation, and issuing a joint statement. They also agree to hold a trilateral summit at least once a year.

From left, Yoon Suk-yeol, Joe Biden, and Fumio Kishida arrive for a joint press conference during the trilateral summit at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland, on August 18, 2023. (© Reuters)

23

Keiō Senior High School defeats Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School 8–2 to win the National High School Baseball Championship for the first time since 1916, the year of the second tournament ever held.

24

In accordance with government policy, Tokyo Electric Power Company begins discharging treated water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The release of accumulated water is expected to take around 30 years, with a planned 7,800 tons to be discharged over the first 17 days. China’s customs office announces a total ban on seafood imports from Japan.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on August 24, 2023. (© Jiji)

The Los Angeles Angels announce that due to an elbow injury, Ohtani Shōhei will not pitch again during the current season. He will continue to bat as a designated hitter.

25

Kitaguchi Haruka wins the gold medal for the women’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 66.73 meters.

Kitaguchi Haruka after winning the javelin event on August 25, 2023. (© Reuters)

A Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Furukawa Satoshi launches successfully. On August 27, it arrives at the International Space Station for the start of a six-month research program.

28

Prime Minister Kishida expresses regret over nuisance phone calls from China to Japan concerning the release of treated water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also protests to the Chinese ambassador.

29

A third-party report on the Johnny and Associates scandal states that Johnny Kitagawa, its former president, had repeatedly sexually abused the agency’s stars, and calls on President Julie Fujishima, Kitagawa’s niece, to resign.

31

Seven & I Holdings announces its decision to sell department store operator Sogō & Seibu to US investment fund Fortress Investment Group on September 1. Due to labor union opposition to the sale, a strike at the flagship Sogō & Seibu store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, means the store closes on this day.

The Ministry of Defense requests a record ¥7.7 trillion in spending for fiscal 2024, a year-on-year increase of 13%.

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Keio Senior High School players celebrate winning the National High School Baseball Championship for the first time in more than a century at Kōshien in Hyōgo Prefecture on August 23, 2023. © Jiji.)