January 1: Mighty Atom, the first half-hour anime series on Japanese television, premieres on Fuji TV, and remains on the air for four consecutive years.
January 16: Yujiro Ishihara (actor/singer), who was a signboard actor of Nikkatsu, founded an entertainment office, Ishihara Promotion (dissolved in 2021).
January 21: Nippon Television premieres Kewpie 3-Minute Cooking (still on air as of 2021).
February 10: With the creation of Kitakyushu City, the former NHK Kokura Station is renamed NHK Kitakyushu Station.
April 1: Fukushima Television started broadcasting as the second-to-last VHF television station in the country.
September 4: Fuji TV begins airing Japan's first late-night anime, Sennin Buraku.
October 10: NHK General converts to color in Tokushima.
November 23: In the wake of news of the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy, a satellite test between Japan and the USA was conducted using artificial satellites.
December 16: NHK General converts to color in Kofu, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Nagoya and Oita.
