Myojo 56 building fire
Encyclopedia
The began in the Kabukicho
section of Shinjuku, Tokyo
at about 01:00 local time on September 1, 2001. The fire, the fifth-deadliest in post-war Japanese history, claimed 44 lives and burned for five hours before being extinguished. In the aftermath of the incident, media coverage (which decayed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks) focused on the arrest and conviction of the property owners for criminal negligence and on the building’s putative ties to organized crime.
The fire burned on the third floor of the building. When the fire broke out, 19 people were on the third floor and 28 people were on the fourth floor. Three employees jumped out of the building from the third floor and survived, suffering injury. Witnesses who saw one of the employees called an ambulance.
Emergency responders arriving to treat the jumpers learned of the building fire and evacuation efforts commenced. Firefighters removed the bodies of 44 people (32 men and 12 women) from inside the building, and rescued those who managed to flee to the roof.
Police officials remarked that the lethality of the fire was exacerbated by multiple violations of the fire code, including blocked fire doors and stairwells. The main cause of death among the fire's victims was found to be Carbon monoxide poisoning
. An investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department concluded that if the building’s automated fire doors had not been prevented from closing, deadly gases would not have reached the building’s occupied floors for at least 20 minutes.
Six individuals were arrested in conjunction with the blaze, on charges of professional negligence resulting in death. Those charged included two executives of the Myojo Kosan Group, which owned the building, and the commercial tenants of the structure, which housed a video mahjong parlor and a hostess bar
. On July 2, 2008, five of the defendants were convicted of negligence in the Tokyo District Court
. The sixth defendant was acquitted.
The building was demolished in May 2006.
As of July 3, 2008, Tokyo police had concluded that the fire resulted from arson, but had not made any corresponding arrest.
Japan Today, an English-language online news outlet, quotes Tokyo police as stating that the mahjong parlor located in the building was “an illegal gambling den” with daily revenues of about eight million yen. Japan Today’s report speculates that the Chinese mafia and yakuza
could have been linked to the incident, as illegal gambling operations are regularly forced to pay “protection money” to organized crime syndicates. However, there is no material or eyewitness evidence of organized crime involvement in the fire.
One injured man, seen near the burning building, later disappeared.
Kabukicho
is an entertainment and red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukichō is the location of many hostess bars, host bars, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the "Sleepless Town"...
section of Shinjuku, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
at about 01:00 local time on September 1, 2001. The fire, the fifth-deadliest in post-war Japanese history, claimed 44 lives and burned for five hours before being extinguished. In the aftermath of the incident, media coverage (which decayed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks) focused on the arrest and conviction of the property owners for criminal negligence and on the building’s putative ties to organized crime.
The fire burned on the third floor of the building. When the fire broke out, 19 people were on the third floor and 28 people were on the fourth floor. Three employees jumped out of the building from the third floor and survived, suffering injury. Witnesses who saw one of the employees called an ambulance.
Emergency responders arriving to treat the jumpers learned of the building fire and evacuation efforts commenced. Firefighters removed the bodies of 44 people (32 men and 12 women) from inside the building, and rescued those who managed to flee to the roof.
Police officials remarked that the lethality of the fire was exacerbated by multiple violations of the fire code, including blocked fire doors and stairwells. The main cause of death among the fire's victims was found to be Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
. An investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department concluded that if the building’s automated fire doors had not been prevented from closing, deadly gases would not have reached the building’s occupied floors for at least 20 minutes.
Six individuals were arrested in conjunction with the blaze, on charges of professional negligence resulting in death. Those charged included two executives of the Myojo Kosan Group, which owned the building, and the commercial tenants of the structure, which housed a video mahjong parlor and a hostess bar
Hostess bar
Hostess clubs are a common feature in the night-time entertainment industry of Japan, east Asian countries and other areas with a high east Asian population. They employ primarily female staff and cater to males seeking drinks and attentive conversation. The more recent host clubs are similar...
. On July 2, 2008, five of the defendants were convicted of negligence in the Tokyo District Court
Tokyo District Court
is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. -References:...
. The sixth defendant was acquitted.
The building was demolished in May 2006.
As of July 3, 2008, Tokyo police had concluded that the fire resulted from arson, but had not made any corresponding arrest.
Japan Today, an English-language online news outlet, quotes Tokyo police as stating that the mahjong parlor located in the building was “an illegal gambling den” with daily revenues of about eight million yen. Japan Today’s report speculates that the Chinese mafia and yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
could have been linked to the incident, as illegal gambling operations are regularly forced to pay “protection money” to organized crime syndicates. However, there is no material or eyewitness evidence of organized crime involvement in the fire.
One injured man, seen near the burning building, later disappeared.
External links
- Deadly Explosion, Fire In Tokyo CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, September 1, 2001 - Fire, Explosion Kills 44 in Tokyo Nightclub CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, September 1, 2001 - At least 44 die in Tokyo explosion The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, September 1, 2001 - Police arrest six over deadly Kabukicho fire The Japan TimesThe Japan TimesThe Japan Times is an English language newspaper published in Japan. Unlike its competitors, the Daily Yomiuri and the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, it is not affiliated with a Japanese language media organization...
, February 19, 2003 - Victims' families sue over Kabukicho fire deaths in 2001 The Japan TimesThe Japan TimesThe Japan Times is an English language newspaper published in Japan. Unlike its competitors, the Daily Yomiuri and the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, it is not affiliated with a Japanese language media organization...
, February 23, 2003 - Kabukicho fire deathtrap to be razed The Japan TimesThe Japan TimesThe Japan Times is an English language newspaper published in Japan. Unlike its competitors, the Daily Yomiuri and the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, it is not affiliated with a Japanese language media organization...
Weekly, May 13, 2006 Kabukicho fire Disaster Prevention System Institute