Portal:Japan/Anniversaries/December/December 23

December 23:

Events
 * 1941 - World War II: Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.
 * 1948 - Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo.
 * 1958 - Dedication of Tokyo Tower, world's highest self-supporting iron tower.

Births
 * 1713 - Maruyama Gondazaemon (d. 1749), sumo wrestler, the 3rd Yokozuna
 * 1933 - Akihito, emperor
 * 1951 - Shōfukutei Tsurube II, actor and comedian
 * 1962 - Keiji Mutoh, wrestler and actor
 * 1971 - Masayoshi Yamazaki, singer-songwriter
 * 1978 - Akiko Yada, actress
 * 1979 - Yukifumi Murakami, javelin thrower
 * 1980 - Kohei Yamamoto, actor
 * 1987 - Kana Kurashina, actress
 * 1988 - Eri Kamei, singer and actress
 * 1988  - Yuka Kashino, singer and dancer
 * 1993 - Ruriko Kojima, model and sportscaster

Deaths
 * 1575 - Akiyama Nobutomo (b. 1531), samurai
 * 1948 - Akira Mutō (b. 1883), general
 * 1948  - Hideki Tōjō (b. 1884), general and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Japan

Holidays and observances
 * The Emperor's Birthday - Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan