Others sought in shooting cases

Yomiuri Shimbun/December 21, 2003

Police believe that in addition to the six members of Japanese sword enthusiasts group Token Tomo no Kai (sword friendship society) arrested Friday in Gifu Prefecture, several other people likely were involved in three shootings for which extreme rightist groups claimed responsibility.

The police said Saturday that a man filmed by a security video camera at the Japan Teachers' Union headquarters in Tokyo, where a suspicious device was found in October, was not one of the six arrested men.

In addition to the members already detained, other members of the group have admitted their involvement in the three shootings, including one at the Hiroshima prefectural teachers union headquarters in June.

The leader of the group and chairman of cutlery sales company Nihon Rejin, Ichiro Murakami, 54, of Gifu and the five others were arrested Friday on suspicion of violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law and other charges.

According to the police, a man who identified himself as a member of Kenkoku Giyugun Kokuzoku Seibatsu-tai (nation-building volunteer corps to conquer traitors) called news organizations on the night of Oct. 26 and said he had placed a plastic-explosive bomb at the head office of the Japan Teachers' Union.

Investigating the claim, police found some plasticine with a wire attached to it near the front entrance of the Japan Education Center in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, where JTU's head office is located.

Later, the police learned that footage of a man with a shoulder bag acting suspiciously had been recorded at 9:49 p.m. by a security camera covering the central entrance to the building.

The police suspect the man might have placed the imitation bomb, as he was the only person recorded by the videotape that evening up until 9:58 p.m, when the bogus bomb was found.

As the man was wearing a hat, his face could not be seen clearly, but police said his physical appearance did not match that of any of the six arrested men.

Prior to Friday's arrests, the police were already questioning on a voluntary basis a dozen people involved with the group. One of them reportedly said he was involved in a shooting at the Hiroshima prefectural teachers union on June 27 and one at the Aum Supreme Truth cult's facility in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, on May 29.

However, the police do not believe he was the man captured by the security camera at JTU's head office.

The police suspect that Murakami shot at the Aum Supreme Truth cult's facility in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, and at its Osaka facility on June 13.