Mitaka incident
Mitaka incident | |
---|---|
Location | Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan |
Coordinates | 35°42′10″N 139°33′39″E / 35.70278°N 139.56083°E |
Date | July 15, 1949 21:23 (UTC+10) |
Weapons | Train |
Deaths | 6 |
Injured | 20 |
Perpetrator | Keisuke Takeuchi (accused) |
The Mitaka incident (三鷹事件, Mitaka jiken) was an incident that took place in Tokyo, Japan on July 15, 1949, when an unmanned 63 series train with its operating handle tied down drove into Mitaka Station on the Chūō Line, killing six people and injuring 20.[1] The incident remains a mystery, as do the Shimoyama and Matsukawa incidents which occurred around the same time.
The government indicted ten people on a charge of train sabotage resulting in death of the victims, as well as the train's conductor, Keisuke Takeuchi, who was not in the train when it derailed.
History
On the day of the derailment, all four of the police officers at Mitaka Station abandoned their posts; this was never explained. Two of the alleged conspirators were indicted for
In a court ruling in 1955, the judge found there was no evidence of a conspiracy, but rather that Takeuchi had planned and executed the entire incident himself.
In 2010, an article from the Japan Times mentioned that the confession Takeuchi provided was done under duress from the police.[1]
In 2019, the Tokyo High Court denied a request to have a retrial for Keisuke Takeuchi.[2] His son, Kenichiro, mentioned that he was disappointed at the decision.[2]
See also
- List of rail accidents (1930–49)