1897 in Japan

Incumbents

• Emperor: Emperor Meiji
• Prime Minister: Matsukata Masayoshi

  Events

• January 17 - A first issue newspaper, Kahoku Shinpō was published in Miyagi Prefecture.
• May - Opening of the Kyoto National Museum.
• June 1 - Opening of Matsugishi Station in Chōshi, Chiba.
• June 10 - Founding of the publishing company Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha.
• June 18 - establishment of Kyoto University under the name Kyoto Imperial University.

  Births

• March 2 - Shizue Kato, politician and activist
• March 28 - Yusuke Hagihara, astronomer
• April 19 - Jiroemon Kimura, supercentenarian, oldest man ever, world's oldest living person from December 2012 to June 2013.
• October 10 - Shigeji Tsuboi, poet
• October 23 - Yae Ibuka, nurse
• November 12 - Eddie Imazu, art director
• November 17 - Kinichiro Sakaguchi, agricultural chemist and microbiologist
• November 28 - Chiyo Uno, writer and author
• December 8 - Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi, naval officer
• December 26 - Unno Juza, writer, founding father of Japanese science fiction

  Deaths

• August 24 - Mutsu Munemitsu, statesman and diplomat
• November 29 - Mitsukuri Rinsho, statesman and legal scholar