Shimoyama incident

1949 CE.

Shown on the map at 35.760°, 139.814°.

The Shimoyama incident (下山事件, Shimoyama jiken) was the disappearance and death of Sadanori Shimoyama, the first president of Japanese National Railways (JNR), in Tokyo, Japan, on 5 July 1949. The following day, his body was discovered on the Jōban Line in Adachi. Immediately following the discovery, there was public debate over whether Shimoyama had been murdered or committed suicide. Despite pressure from the Japanese government and Allied command, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police initially investigated the death as a suicide through the First Investigation Division. Continued pressure caused the suicide investigation to be ended, and a homicide investigation was opened by the Second Investigation Division. Police ultimately terminated the investigation without announcing any results, and the statute of limitations for prosecution of a murder expired in July 1964, fifteen years after Shimoyama's death. The Shimoyama incident, the Mitaka incident and the Matsukawa derailment occurred within two months of each other and together are known as JNR's Three Big Mysteries.

Text from the Wikipedia article Shimoyama incident, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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