The Sound of Explosions in the Darkness of the City - The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Building Bombing, February 1975

The Sound of Explosions in the Darkness of the City - The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Building Bombing, February 1975

In August 1974, an explosion occurred in front of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Head Office Building in Marunouchi, Tokyo, killing eight and injuring 376. The attack was carried out by the "East Asian Anti-Japanese Armed Front," which targeted Mitsubishi as a "symbol of imperialism" because of its symbolic role in Japan's heavy industry and its ties to the defense industry. In targeting a major corporation, a symbol of Japan's rapid economic growth, the attack vividly illustrates the new form of urban terrorism that Japan is facing.

In the background, the rapid economic development of Japan was accompanied by worsening pollution and inequality, as well as the international political situation surrounding the Vietnam War. The attack on the nexus of capital and power was not only a crime, but also a message of radical rebellion against the times. After the incident, television and newspapers reported extensively on the bombing day after day, and wide-ranging TV shows turned away from entertainment topics to deal with the bombing, amplifying the public's anxiety.

This incident, which brought home the reality that anyone could be a victim in the middle of a city, had a powerful impact on society. At the same time, it was also a symbol that some radicals derived from the student movement had embarked on an armed struggle, and it was the beginning of a series of corporate bombings that would follow. The MHI bombing was a historical incident that exposed the strains lurking in Japanese society amid the shadow of rapid economic growth, political distrust, and international tensions.