Heisei period Facts for Kids

History of Japan
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The Heisei period (平成時代 (Heisei jidai)) was an important time in Japan's history. It's like an "era name" or nengō in Japanese. This period began in February 1989 and finished on April 30, 2019. It came after the Shōwa period and before the Reiwa period. During the Heisei period, Akihito was the Emperor of Japan. The period ended when Emperor Akihito decided to step down from his role.

What Happened During the Heisei Period?
Major Disasters in Heisei Japan
- Who Led Japan? Prime Ministers During Heisei
Heisei Period in Pictures
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What Happened During the Heisei Period?

This era covers the years when Emperor Akihito was Japan's monarch. Many interesting things happened during this time.

1990 (Heisei 2): A big event called Expo 1990 took place in Hyōgo Prefecture.
1992 (Heisei 4): Emperor Akihito made history by traveling to China. It was the first time a Japanese Emperor had ever visited that country.
1993 (Heisei 5): The leaders of the world's biggest economies met in Tokyo for the 19th G7 summit.
1998 (Heisei 10): Japan hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, a major international sports event.
2000 (Heisei 12): Another important meeting, the 26th G8 summit, was held in Okinawa.
2008 (Heisei 20): The 34th G8 summit took place in Hokkaido.

Major Disasters in Heisei Japan

The Heisei period also saw some very serious natural disasters that affected many people.

January 17, 1995 (Heisei 7): A powerful earthquake hit Kobe. It caused a lot of damage and was a very difficult time for the city.

March 11, 2011 (Heisei 23): A huge magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Tōhoku. This earthquake caused a massive tsunami (a giant wave), which is known as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami also led to a serious nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant.

March 15, 2011 (Heisei 23): After the earthquake and tsunami, Emperor Akihito spoke to the entire nation on television. It was the first time he had ever done this. He told the people, "I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times."

Who Led Japan? Prime Ministers During Heisei

During the Heisei period, many different people served as the Prime Minister of Japan, leading the country.

1989 (Heisei 1): When Emperor Shōwa passed away, Noboru Takeshita was the Prime Minister. Later that year, Sōsuke Uno and then Toshiki Kaifu became Prime Minister.
1991 (Heisei 3): Kiichi Miyazawa took over as Prime Minister.
1993 (Heisei 5): Morihiro Hosokawa became Prime Minister.
1994 (Heisei 6): Tsutomu Hata and then Tomiichi Murayama served as Prime Minister.
1996 (Heisei 8): Ryutaro Hashimoto became Prime Minister.
1998 (Heisei 10): Keizō Obuchi became Prime Minister.
2000 (Heisei 12): Yoshiro Mori became Prime Minister.
2001 (Heisei 13): Junichiro Koizumi became Prime Minister and served for several years.
2006 (Heisei 18): Shinzo Abe became Prime Minister for the first time.
2007 (Heisei 19): Yasuo Fukuda became Prime Minister.
2008 (Heisei 20): Taro Aso became Prime Minister.
2009 (Heisei 21): Yukio Hatoyama became Prime Minister.
2010 (Heisei 22): Naoto Kan became Prime Minister.
2011 (Heisei 23): Yoshihiko Noda became Prime Minister.
2012 (Heisei 24): Shinzo Abe became Prime Minister again, serving for a long time.