November 29, 1985 - "simultaneous guerilla incidents" against privatization of JNR in greater Tokyo and Osaka

[miyakoji]

Here's a news segment from JNN on November 29, 1985.  In the early hours of that day, there were attacks on signal cables and boxes, transformers, and stations, ultimately totaling 33.  Carried out by Chukaku-ha in support of Doro Chiba, this was in opposition to the privatization of JNR which as we all know went ahead on April 1, 1987.  I will avoid political commentary but you can check out the Wikipedia links below 😁.

 

By 1 PM, Asahi News reported the 33 incidents as summarized by the NPA:

 

• Saitama - 3 cables cut
• Chiba - 1 cable cut
• Tokyo
  • 15 cables cut
  • Arson at Asakusabashi Station
• Kanagawa - 3 cables cut
• Kyoto - arson at one transformer
• Osaka
  • 2 cables damaged by arson
  • arson at 2 signal boxes
  • arson at 2 transformers
• Okayama - 1 cable cut
• Hiroshima
  • 1 cable cut
  • 1 case of arson, undefined

 

The video thumbnail below is Shinagawa Depot, probably not usually full during daytime hours.  Other points of interest in the video:

 

• 1:15 - Reporter Hoshino at JNR Headquarters
• 2:00 - Interior condition of Asakusabashi Station around 5PM
• 2:30 - First image of several of signal crews working on cut cables.  This is around Nakano on the Chuo Line.
• 6:37 - Tobacco-equipped Osakan
• 8:38 - Signal guys looking at a diagram of the cable cross section.  Best of luck, gentlemen.
• 8:55 - Shin-Osaka Substation in Suita
• 9:19 - Alcohol-equipped Tokyoite
• 9:30 - Asakusabashi Station around 6:45 AM
• 10:50 - JNR passengers taking their business to Keisei at Tsudanuma Station
• 12:52 - Doro Chiba meeting(?), guy with binoculars.
• 14:10 - Takaya Sugiura, the last director of JNR
• 20:55 - Police entering Chukaku-ha office
• 21:10 - apparently archival footage of Mr. Kamata, of some role at Chukaku-ha, then under arrest
• 21:20 - Chukaku-ha demonstration near Tsudanuma
• 21:35 - January 1984 arson attack on the Police Science Institute
• 21:50 - anti Narita Airport riot
• 23:20 - Police at Doro Chiba office
• 25:50 - CTC room full of guys probably not having a good time

 

Interesting.  Unlike the Japan I think of, perhaps it goes to show that societies do change.

 

 

Chukaku-ha -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Communist_League,_National_Committee

Doro Chiba - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railway_Chiba_Motive_Power_Union

Doro, from which Doro Chiba split in 1979 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railway_Locomotive_Engineers'_Union

Kokuro - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railway_Workers'_Union