Iccho Itoh
Encyclopedia
, born , was the mayor
of the Japan
ese city
of Nagasaki; he first took office in 1995. He was a graduate from Waseda University
, and majored in political science.
assembly before he was elected as the mayor.
As the mayor of the city where an atomic bomb was dropped
just two weeks before his birth, he made a speech at the International Court of Justice
in the Hague
on November 7, 1995 and stressed that the use of nuclear weapon
s is a violation of international law
.
. Itoh was taken to the Nagasaki University
Hospital, where he died early the next morning due to loss of blood. Police arrested Tetsuya Shiroo
on suspicion of the murder after he was detained by Itoh's entourage following the shooting. Shiroo was a senior member of the Yamaguchi-gumi
, an organized crime
group. As for the motive, "Shiroo reportedly clashed with Nagasaki city officials in 2003 after his car was damaged when he drove into a hole at the construction site." There are also rumours that it is related to city construction projects. The Nagasaki District Court sentenced Shiroo to death on May 26, 2008, but the Fukuoka High Court revoked the death sentence.
A new mayoral election was held on April 22, 2007. , Itoh's son-in-law, and , a city official, filed for candidacy. Taue was elected.
Itoh was the second mayor of Nagasaki to be shot; his immediate predecessor was shot in 1990, but survived.
Itoh's name was romanized as Itcho Ito by Mainichi Shimbun
, Reuters
, and Al-Jazeera. CNN
used the Iccho Ito romanization. Asahi Shimbun
used Iccho Itoh. Itoh spelled his name as Iccho Itoh in his English letter to George W. Bush
.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
of Nagasaki; he first took office in 1995. He was a graduate from Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
, and majored in political science.
Career
He served as a member of the city assembly and later the prefecturalNagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
assembly before he was elected as the mayor.
As the mayor of the city where an atomic bomb was dropped
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
just two weeks before his birth, he made a speech at the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
in the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
on November 7, 1995 and stressed that the use of nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s is a violation of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
.
Assassination
On April 17, 2007, while campaigning for re-election for his fourth term, he was shot twice in the back at point-blank range in front of his campaign office outside the Nagasaki train stationNagasaki Station (Nagasaki)
is a railway station in Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company . It forms the terminus of the Nagasaki Main Line....
. Itoh was taken to the Nagasaki University
Nagasaki University
is a national university of Japan. Its nickname is Chōdai . The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
Hospital, where he died early the next morning due to loss of blood. Police arrested Tetsuya Shiroo
Tetsuya Shiroo
is the former leader of the Suishin-kai, a Nagasaki-based yakuza group affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest yakuza organization in Japan.On April 17, 2007, Shiroo shot Iccho Itoh, the mayor of Nagasaki, who died early the next morning....
on suspicion of the murder after he was detained by Itoh's entourage following the shooting. Shiroo was a senior member of the Yamaguchi-gumi
Yamaguchi-gumi
is Japan's largest and most infamous yakuza organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for dockworkers in Kobe pre-WWII....
, an organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
group. As for the motive, "Shiroo reportedly clashed with Nagasaki city officials in 2003 after his car was damaged when he drove into a hole at the construction site." There are also rumours that it is related to city construction projects. The Nagasaki District Court sentenced Shiroo to death on May 26, 2008, but the Fukuoka High Court revoked the death sentence.
A new mayoral election was held on April 22, 2007. , Itoh's son-in-law, and , a city official, filed for candidacy. Taue was elected.
Itoh was the second mayor of Nagasaki to be shot; his immediate predecessor was shot in 1990, but survived.
Name
His first name was originally pronounced Kazunaga with kun-yomi, but he elected to use more euphonious on-yomi form of Itchō for his mayoralty.Itoh's name was romanized as Itcho Ito by Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, and Al-Jazeera. CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
used the Iccho Ito romanization. Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
used Iccho Itoh. Itoh spelled his name as Iccho Itoh in his English letter to George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
External links
- Japan PM denounces mayor's death BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, April 18, 2007 - Reuters article