Satoshi Kirishima (桐島 聡), a key figure in the East Asian anti-Japanese movement, died recently, just days after turning himself in. Kirishima, who turned himself in after 49 years, was already in critical condition with terminal stomach cancer. Having lived under his real name, Hiroshi Uchida, he wanted to end his life under his original name. It caught our attention because it came at a time when he was receiving a lot of attention for turning himself in after a long life on the run.
Japanese New Left terrorist Satoshi Kirishima was a key member of the East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front, which operated in Japan in the 1970s. The militant group carried out a series of bombings against war criminal companies in Japan, and Satoshi Kirishima is believed to be a suspect in the case. Until recently, Satoshi Kirishima’s whereabouts were unknown.
In this article, you’ll learn about his life and organizational work.
Who is Satoshi Kirishima
Satoshi Kirishima was born on January 9, 1954, and graduated from Hiroshima Prefectural Onomichi North High School before attending Meiji Gakuin University’s Faculty of Law. While in college, Kirishima met with Yoshimasa Kurokawa and Hisaichi Ugajin to form the Scorpions, an East Asian anti-Japanese armed front, and was involved in a series of serial bombings. The militant group carried out bombings in 1974 and 1975, targeting Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsui Corporation, and others as “participating in the invasion of Asia.
On April 18, 1975, Satoshi Kirishima planted a IED at the entrance to the Korea Institute of Industrial Economics in Ginza, Tokyo, and detonated it the next day. Part of the building was damaged in the incident, and the bomb is believed to have been manufactured according to a recipe published in “Bokbokshi,” a book published by the East Asian anti-Japanese armed front “Wolf. Satoshi Kirishima is also known to have been involved in several other bombings.
The Whereabouts of Satoshi Kirishima, Member of the East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front
On May 19, 1975, when other members of the East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front were arrested, Satoshi Kirishima escaped capture along with Ugajin. The police were unaware of the existence of these two, the youngest members of the organization, until their keys were seized from Kurokawa’s home. Satoshi Kirishima has since been arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of violating the Explosives Possession Penalty Act. Ugajin was arrested seven years later in 1982, but the whereabouts and life of Satoshi Kirishima remain a mystery. Satoshi Kirishima was the only member of the East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front who was never arrested, and is known to have had no significant criminal record.
Death of Satoshi Kirishima
Satoshi Kirishima, who had been on the run for about 49 years, recently turned himself in, but died four days later on the 29th, Japanese media reported. The man, who identified himself as Satoshi Kirishima, died at a hospital in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, where he had been hospitalized and was in a very critical condition with terminal stomach cancer. He had been using the pseudonym “Hiroshi Uchida” while in the hospital, but on May 25, he revealed that he was Satoshi Kirishima. The Metropolitan Police have since sought to conduct investigations, including DNA testing, to confirm his identity, but his death is likely to effectively close the investigation.
History and Activities of the Anti-Japanese Armed Front in East Asia
The East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front is an anarchist radical militant group. Created in 1972, it was responsible for a number of explosive incidents between 1974 and 1975. The group specifically targeted companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsui Materials, accusing them of participating in the invasion of Asia. They carried out a total of 12 explosive events, including the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bombing, which had tragic consequences, killing eight people and injuring 380. The group’s goals were anti-imperialist and anti-colonial, and Satoshi Kirishima was known to be a key figure among its members.
Satoshi Kirishima’s escape and manhunt.
Kirishima was one of the organization’s key figures, and was one of only two members to remain on the run after most of the organization’s members were arrested in 1975. He remains the longest fugitive from justice among Japan’s Metropolitan Police Department’s most wanted fugitives. His embroidery and death would go down as a significant event in modern Japanese history.
The social impact of the Satoshi Kirishima case
The self-immolation and death of Satoshi Kirishima is more than just the fate of one individual; it is an event that has had a profound impact on Japanese society and history. His activities and life on the run provide an important discourse on the perception of and response to past acts of terrorism, as well as social and historical issues. The incident has forced Japanese society to reflect on past acts of terrorism and the reasons behind them, which will provide important lessons for current and future responses.
What the Satoshi Kirishima case means
Satoshi Kirishima was a neo-leftist terrorist who operated in Japan as a member of the East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front. He is known to have been involved in a series of bombings in the 1970s targeting war criminal companies in Japan. For 49 years, Satoshi Kirishima’s whereabouts remained a mystery, until he recently turned himself in, only to die four days later on the 29th. Among the members of the East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front, Satoshi Kirishima was a key figure, and his actions and activities remain a major issue in Japanese history.
