Today in Japanese History: March 7 (UCLA Teaching about Japan website)

March 7

1942 As part of their campaign to cut China off from armaments and other supplies, Japanese forces took Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar). By the end of the year, Japan controlled all of Burma and U.S. support for the Chinese had to be flown in from India.

1988 Honda shipped the first American-built Japanese cars to Japan. Honda opened its first American auto plant in Ohio in 1979. By 2001, Honda directly employed 18,500 people at its factories and offices. Another 120,000 people worked in Honda dealerships in the United States.

1995 In New York, the yen-dollar exchange rank sank below the ¥90 = US$1 rate for the first time. On March 8, 1990 the rate was ¥151 = US$1. On March 8, 2000, the rate was ¥107 = US$1. The U.S. Federal Reserve provides charts showing exchange rates since 1990.

1996 An Okinawan court sentenced three U.S. servicemen to about seven years in jail for the rape of a schoolgirl. The incident heightened tensions in Okinawa over the American military presence and the application of Japanese law to U.S. service personnel.

2000 The Japanese foreign ministry announced that it would reopen talks with North Korea on normalizing their diplomatic relationship. These talks had been on hold for eight years. As an expression of good faith, the Japanese government also announced it intended to resume providing food assistance to North Korea. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regularly updates its website on Japanese-North Korean relations.

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