1952 in Japan

Incumbents

• Emperor: Hirohito
• Prime Minister: Shigeru Yoshida
• Chief Cabinet Secretary: Shigeru Hori until October 30, Taketora Ogata
• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Kōtarō Tanaka
• President of the House of Representatives: Jōji Hayashi until August 1, Banboku Ōno from August 26 to August 28 and from October 24
• President of the House of Councillors: Naotake Satō

  Events

• March 4 - A Richer Scale magnitude 8.1 earthquake with tsunami hit off coast Tokachi region, Hokkaido, according to Japanese government official confirmed report, 33 persons were fatalities with 287 persons were wounded.
• March 7 - A Richer Scale magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit off coast Ishikawa Prefecture, seven persons were die, eight persons were hurt, according to Japanese government official confirmed report.
• April 28 - Treaty of San Francisco goes into effect, ending the Allied occupation of Japan.
• July 18 - A Richer Scale magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit in Takatori, Nara Prefecture, nine persons were fatalities, with 139 persons were hurt, according to Japanese government official confirmed report.
• October 1 - 1952 Japanese general election

  Films

• The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice

  Births

• January 2 - Makoto Nakajima, bureaucrat, Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office
• January 17 - Ryuichi Sakamoto, musician, composer, producer and actor
• January 28 - Tomokazu Miura, actor
• February 3 - Miyako Yamaguchi
• February 8 - Daisuke Gōri, voice actor
• February 19 - Ryū Murakami, novelist, short story writer, essayist and filmmaker
• February 23 - Miyuki Nakajima, singer
• April 10 - Masashi Sada, singer, lyricist, composer, novelist, actor, and a film producer
• May 2 - Mari Natsuki, singer, dancer and actress
• May 18 - Ryūzaburō Ōtomo, voice actor
• June 9 - Yukihiro Takahashi, musician and singer
• June 20 - Kōichi Mashimo, anime director
• July 15 - Yuriko Koike, politician, cabinet minister and governor of Tokyo.
• July 20 - Keiko Matsuzaka, actress
• July 2 - Rumiko Koyanagi, actress and singer
• November 16 - Shigeru Miyamoto, game designer
• December 6 - Shio Satō, Manga artist
• Shinichi Nishimiya, diplomat, designated Ambassador to China in 2012.

  Deaths

• April 21 - Isamu Yokoyama
• August 22 - Hiranuma Kiichirō
• October 7 - Keisuke Okada