January:
- Year of the Tiger
- Tiger Attack at Nasu SafariPark in Tochigi Prefecture
- High school pupil stabbing three people outside the University of Tokyo
- Sumo wrestler Mitakeumi was promoted to ozeki after winning the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament
- Taro Daniel defeated Andy Murray at the Australian Open

February:
- Japan imposed sanctions on Russia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine
- Japan won a record 18 medals at the Winter Olympics in Beijing

March:
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car became the first Japanese movie to pick up an Oscar since Departures and La Maison en Petits Cubes
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a standing ovation after speaking to the Japanese Diet via video and praised Japan for being the "first asian nation to put real pressure on Russia"
- Uniqlo pulled out of Russia
- Sumo wrestler Wakatakakage became the first newly promoted sekiwake to win an Emperor's Cup since 1936
- Japan secured a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

April:
- Movie actor Sion Sono was accused of sexual harassment and assault by two female actors
- Four female actors accused director Hideo Sakaki of coercing them into non-consensual sex
- Three women claimed actor Houka Kinoshita sexually assaulted and abused them in 2011
- The vessel Kazu sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula with 26 people on board

May:
- Prime Minister Kishida announced that overseas tourists would be allowed to enter Japan from June via tour packages

June:
- The Ministry of Justice proposed introducing a joint custody system for divorced couples
- A petition calling for the removal of the clause requiring a third party written agreement for abortions
- The Adult Video Appearance Damange Prevention and Relief Law was introduced, allowing anyone appearing in porn films to cancel their contracts within a year of the release

July:
- Japans longest serving prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot in Nara Prefecture
- Japan ranked 116th in the year's gender gap report

August:
- Several high profile members of the Unification Church were dismissed, including Shinzo Abe's brother Nobuo Kishi
- China shot five ballistic missiles into the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone for the first time

September:
- The controversial state funeral for Shinzo Abe was held with more than 4,300 guests including several world leaders
- Several child tragedies happened within one month

October:
- Japan finally opened it's doors to visa-free independend tourists after 2 years of isolation due to Covid-19
- Japan spent a record 6.35 trillion Yen on currency intervention due to the Yen falling below the 150 mark against the US Dollar
- North Korea fired a missile over the country
- Japan won 16 medals at the Judo World Championships

November:
- Prime Minister Kishida's problem continued, due to several ministers quitting within months
- Japan won a match against Germany with 2-1 at the Qatar FIFA World Cup
- Japan then lost it's next match against Costa Rica 0-1

December:
- Japan's journey at the Qatar FIFA World Cup was over after losing against Croatia
- In Shizuoka Prefecture, three nursery teachers were arrested on suspicion of assaulting children
- At least three people died as a result of heavy snow fall. Hundrets of people left their vehicles stranded and thousands of homes were without electricity
- The Kanji "Sen" meaning "war" was chosen as the symbol of 2022
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