Mitaka incident
Encyclopedia
The was an incident that took place on July 15, 1949 when an unmanned 63 series
train
with its operating handle tied down drove into Mitaka Station
on the Chūō Line
in Tokyo
, Japan
, killing 6 people and injuring 20.
The incident remains shrouded in mystery, as do the Shimoyama
and Matsukawa
incidents which occurred around the same time, but it is commonly said to have been a plot by the National Railway Workers' Union
. 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.
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 perjury
. Takeuchi's lawyer refused to allow a coworker to present evidence affirming that he and Takeuchi were in a public bath together when the train left the station, claiming it was "irrelevant to the case".
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. Takeuchi was sentenced to death
; the other defendants were declared innocent of all charges. All appeals of the verdict were rejected.
All the acquitted defendants were members of the Japan Communist Party, but Takeuchi was not. Takeuchi died in jail in 1967 of a brain tumour. Until his death, he continued to proclaim his innocence, an unusual occurrence in the Japanese legal system.
The Matsukawa derailment
occurred about a month after the incident. These are two of the three great mysteries of Japanese National Railways
.
63 series
The was a commuter electric multiple unit operated by Japanese Government Railways and Japanese National Railways .-Background:...
train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
with its operating handle tied down drove into Mitaka Station
Mitaka Station
is a railway station in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Mitaka Station is served by the Chūō Main Line, acting as the terminus for all-stations Chūō-Sōbu Line services from , with Chūō Line limited stop services from...
on the Chūō Line
Chuo Main Line
The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 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...
, killing 6 people and injuring 20.
The incident remains shrouded in mystery, as do the Shimoyama
Shimoyama incident
The was the disappearance and death of , the first president of Japanese National Railways. He disappeared on his way to work, July 5, 1949, and his body was found the next day....
and Matsukawa
Matsukawa derailment
The happened on August 17, 1949 when a passenger train hauled by a JNR Class C51 steam locomotive derailed and overturned between Kanayagawa and Matsukawa stations on the Tōhoku Main Line in Japan, killing three crew members. It was reported that the tracks had been sabotaged, which the...
incidents which occurred around the same time, but it is commonly said to have been a plot by the National Railway Workers' Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. The government indicted ten people on a charge of train sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
resulting in death of the victims, as well as the train's conductor, Keisuke Takeuchi, who was not in the train when it derailed.
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 perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
. Takeuchi's lawyer refused to allow a coworker to present evidence affirming that he and Takeuchi were in a public bath together when the train left the station, claiming it was "irrelevant to the case".
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. Takeuchi was sentenced to death
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
; the other defendants were declared innocent of all charges. All appeals of the verdict were rejected.
All the acquitted defendants were members of the Japan Communist Party, but Takeuchi was not. Takeuchi died in jail in 1967 of a brain tumour. Until his death, he continued to proclaim his innocence, an unusual occurrence in the Japanese legal system.
The Matsukawa derailment
Matsukawa derailment
The happened on August 17, 1949 when a passenger train hauled by a JNR Class C51 steam locomotive derailed and overturned between Kanayagawa and Matsukawa stations on the Tōhoku Main Line in Japan, killing three crew members. It was reported that the tracks had been sabotaged, which the...
occurred about a month after the incident. These are two of the three great mysteries of Japanese National Railways
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
.