January 21:

Events

• 1912 - Japan's first skiing competition is held at Takada in Niigata Prefecture.
• 1913 - The first French private school opens in Tokyo. Later graduates include Sakaguchi Ango, Tanizaki Junichiro and Takehisa Yumeji.
• 1930 - Japan, the United States, Great Britain, France and Italy hold a meeting in London regarding arms reduction.
• 1952 - Shiratori Kazuo of the Sapporo Police Department is shot and killed (the Shiratori Incident). Suspicion falls upon the Japanese Communist Party as being involved in the crime.
• 2007 - Awashima Marine Park catches a video tape of the rare frilled shark.

Births

• 1935 - Masamichi Noro (d. 2013), Japanese-French martial artist
• 1936 - Koji Hashimoto (d. 2005), director
• 1959 - Masaki Kyomoto, actor, singer, entertainer, and guitarist
• 1960 - Mamoru Nagano, animator and director
• 1969 - Tsubaki Nekoi, illustrator
• 1972 - Yasunori Mitsuda, composer and producer
• 1975 - Yuji Ide, race car driver
• 1980 - Nana Mizuki, singer-songwriter and voice actress
• 1981 - Masayuki Deai, actor
• 1982 - Go Shiozaki, wrestler

Deaths

• 1546 - Azai Sukemasa (b. 1491), daimyo

Film and television

• 2012 - Always Sanchōme no Yūhi '64, a film starring Hidetaka Yoshioka, Koyuki, Shinichi Tsutsumi, and Hiroko Yakushimaru