Events from the year 1917 in Japan. It corresponds to Taishō 6 (大正6年) in the Japanese calendar.
- January 1 – Shuntaro Hida, physician (d. 2017)
- February 5 – Isuzu Yamada, actress (d. 2012)
- March 5 – Mutsuo Toi, spree killer (d. 1938)
- May 6 – Prince Morihiro Higashikuni, husband of Princess Teru (d. 1969)
- May 10 – Shigeo Sugiura, freestyle swimmer (d. 1988)
- August 15 – Yukio Tsuda, football player (d. 1979)
- August 25 – Tosio Kato, mathematician (d. 1999)
- September 7 – Tetsuo Hamuro, breaststroke swimmer (d. 2005)
- September 11 – Yukiko Todoroki, actress (d. 1967)
- October 19 – Kusuo Kitamura, Olympic swimmer (d. 1996)
- November 25 – Noboru Terada, free style swimmer (d. 1986)