February 2:

Events

• 1873 - Sakura Juntendō establishes a hospital in Yushima.
• 1874 - A railway is constructed between Shinbashi and Kyōbashi.
• 1892 - The first beauty contest is held at the Ryōunkaku in Asakusa.
• 1920 - Buses in Tokyo begin using female bus guides.
• 1935 - At a meeting of women teachers in Osaka, it is suggested that women begin wearing western clothes, because of the increasing number of women entering the work force.
• 1942 - The Japan Women's Club is founded.
• 1972 - Yokoi Shōichi, a World War II soldier found living in the caves of Guam, returns to Japan.
• 1976 - NET, the precursor of TV Asahi, begins broadcasting.
• 1998 - Zip codes are expanded to 7 digits.

Births

• 1892 - Tochigiyama Moriya (d. 1959), sumo wrestler, the 27th Yokozuna
• 1949 - Yasuko Namba (d. 1996), mountaineer
• 1950 - Osamu Kido, wrestler
• 1950 - Genichiro Tenryu, wrestler
• 1965 - Naoki Sano, wrestler and mixed martial artist
• 1984 - Mao Miyaji, actress
• 1985 - Renn Kiriyama, actor
• 1986 - Miwa Asao, volleyball player
• 1991 - Shohei Nanba, actor

Deaths

• 2007 - Masao Takemoto (b. 1919), gymnast