1958 in Japan

Incumbents

• Emperor: Hirohito
• Prime minister: Nobusuke Kishi
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Kiichi Aichi until June 12, Munenori Akagi
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Kōtarō Tanaka
• President of the House of Representatives: Shūji Masutani until April 25, Nirō Hoshijima from June 11 until December 13, Ryōgorō Katō
• President of the House of Councillors: Tsuruhei Matsuno

  Events

• January 26 - According to Japan Coast Guard official confirmed report, a passenger ferry Nankai Maru capsized Kii Channel, between Wakayama City to Tokushima City, total 167 persons drowned.
• March 9 - The Kanmon Tunnel opens, connecting Honshu and Kyushu by road for the first time.
• April Unknown date - Ohyama Blow Manufacturing, as predecessor of Iris Ohyama was founded.
• May 2 - Nagasaki Flag incident - Ultra-nationalists pull down a Chinese flag hanging outside an exhibition of postage stamps in Nagasaki, freezing relations between China and Japan.
• May 22 - General election of 1958 - The Liberal Democratic Party win 298 out of 467 seats.
• June 24 - According to official Japanese government confirmed report, a large scale eruption in Mount Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, killed a total of twelve persons, and wounded 28.
• August 2 - An All Nippon Airways Douglas DC-3 plunges in the sea close to the Izu Islands, killing all 33 occupants of the aircraft.
• September 27 - Typhoon Ida kills at least 1,269 in Honshu.
• October 14 - Construction of Tokyo Tower is completed.
• November 10 - According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, a large scale erupted in Mount Asama, Gunma Prefecture, ash height maximum 8,000 meters.
• December 23 - Tokyo Tower is opened to the public for the first time, at a final cost of ¥2.8 billion.
• December 27 - National Health Care Act of 1958.

  Births

• January 20 - Masuo Amada, voice actor
• January 30 - Sayuri Ishikawa, enka singer
• February 1 - Ryō Horikawa, voice actor
• March 10 - Hiroshi Yanaka, voice actor
• April 1 - Hiromi Kawakami, author and writer
• April 7 - Shinobu Adachi, voice actress
• April 12 - Hyōichi Kōno, adventurer
• April 14 - Junko Sakurada, actress and singer
• April 21 - Yoshito Usui, manga artist, creator of Crayon Shin-chan
• June 14 - Masami Yoshida, javelin thrower
• June 20 - Teiyū Ichiryūsai, voice actress
• July 5 - Kyoko Terase, voice actress
• July 22 - Tatsunori Hara, professional-baseball coach and player
• August 2 - Shō Hayami, voice actor and singer
• August 15 - Chiharu Suzuka, voice actress
• September 8
• * Mitsuru Miyamoto, voice actor
• * Reiko Terashima, manga artist and illustrator
• October 15 - Masako Katsuki, voice actress
• October 23 - Hiroyuki Kinoshita, actor and voice actor
• November 12 - Hiromi Iwasaki, singer
• November 27 - Tetsuya Komuro, music producer and songwriter
• December 2 - Mina Asami, actress
• December 26 - Mieko Harada, actress

  Date unknown

• Yoshiteru Otani, cartoonist

  Deaths

• April 2 - Jōsei Toda, educator and peace activist
• September 20 - Ogasawara Naganari, admiral and naval strategist