1871 in Japan

Events in the year 1871 in Japan.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: Emperor Meiji

Governors

 * Aomori Prefecture: Hiromichi Noda (September 7-November 5), J. Hishida (starting November 7)
 * Fukui Prefecture: Kotobuki Murata
 * Fukushima Prefecture: Tomoharu Kiyooka
 * Gifu Prefecture: Joren Hasegawa
 * Gunma Prefecture: Sada Aoyama
 * Hiroshima Prefecture: Kono Toshikama (August 15-November 15), Senbon Hisanobu (November 15-November 27), Kono Toshikama (November 27-December 26), Date Muneoki (starting December 26)
 * Ibaraki Prefecture:
 * July 13-December 9: Tesshu Yamaoka
 * starting December 9: Yamaguchi (starting November 2)
 * Iwate Prefecture: Korekiyo Shima (starting November 2)
 * Kagawa Prefecture: Mohei Hayashi (starting November 15)
 * Kochi Prefecture: Yuzo Hayashi (starting November 15)
 * Kyoto Prefecture: Nobuatsu
 * Nagano Prefecture: Takaishi Wado (until 1871), Tachiki Kenzen (starting November 20)
 * Niigata Prefecture: Hirimatsu (starting November 20)
 * Oita Prefecture: Kei Morishita (starting November 14)
 * Osaka Prefecture: Yotsutsuji Nishi
 * Saga Prefecture: Sadao Koga (starting November 14)
 * Saitama Prefecture: Morihide Nomura (starting November 13)
 * Shiname Prefecture: Masami Terada (starting November 14)
 * Tochigi Prefecture: Miki Nabeshima (starting November 13)
 * Tokyo: Osamu Mibo (until September 7), Yuri Kousei (starting September 7)
 * Toyama Prefecture:
 * until August: Earl Maeda
 * August-December: Obata Nobutomo
 * Yamagata Prefecture: ......

Events

 * January 28 - Japan's first Japanese-language daily newspaper, the Yokohama Mainichi Shinbun, is printed in Yokohama. (Traditional Japanese Date: Eighth Day of the Twelfth Month, 1870)
 * The Yen was introduced on June 27