Mitaka Incident - Mitaka Incident

On July 15, 1949 (Showa 24), just after 9 p.m., an unmanned train ran out of control at Mitaka Station on the JNR Chuo Line, leaving six people dead (first-instance ruling) and others seriously or slightly injured. On July 12, prior to this, the JNR authorities had begun to give notices of dismissal as part of a second round of personnel reductions of approximately 63,000 employees, but on July 15, the JNR Workers' Union Central Struggle Committee was in a state of conflict and division between the Unified Left and the Democratic Party over the opposition movement. The incident occurred that night, and the following day, Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru declared that some unions and the Communist Party were provoking and inciting social unrest. The investigating authorities concluded that the crime was committed by members of the JNR Workers' Union of the Communist Party in order to intensify the opposition movement, and indicted 10 people, including members of the Mitaka Electric Railway Section, on charges of "endangering train traffic, subverting trains, and causing death." All nine section members had been fired, and all except Takeuchi Keisuke were members of the Communist Party. This incident, which followed the Shimoyama incident, dealt a major blow to Kokuro's opposition struggle, and while the Kokuro Central Committee withdrew its policy of using force, including strikes, dismissals proceeded smoothly.

The main issue at trial was whether the defendants had conspired to cause the train to run out of control and overturn. The first trial (Tokyo District Court) on August 11, 1950, found the conspiracy to be a "castle in the air" with no substance, sentenced Takeuchi, who claimed to have acted alone, to life imprisonment, and acquitted the other nine defendants. The second trial on March 30, 1951 also upheld the first trial's ruling, finding that there was insufficient evidence of a conspiracy, but sentenced Takeuchi to death. On June 22, 1955, the Supreme Court narrowly rejected the appeal by a majority of 8 to 7, and the sentence was finalized. Takeuchi maintained his innocence both before and after the appeal trial, and requested a retrial after the dismissal, but he died of illness in January 1967 while the retrial decision was being heard. The fact that the Supreme Court handed down its verdict without holding oral argument became an issue in academic and legal circles, and thereafter the practice of holding oral argument in death penalty cases was established at the Supreme Court.

[Shoji Arakawa]

"The Mitaka Incident" by Ryoro Komatsu (1967, Sanichi Shobo)" ▽ "Postwar Political Trial History Records, Volume 1" edited by Jiro Tanaka et al. (1980, Daiichi Hoki Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1949年（昭和24）7月15日午後9時過ぎ、国鉄の中央線三鷹駅で無人電車が暴走し、死者6人（一審判決）ほか重軽傷者を出した事件。これに先だつ7月12日、国鉄当局は約6万3000人の第二次人員整理のため解雇通告を始めたが、7月15日の国鉄労組中闘委員会は反対運動をめぐって統一左派と民同派が対立、分裂状態に陥っていた。事件はこの夜起こり、翌日吉田茂首相は、一部の組合や共産党が社会不安を挑発、扇動していると断じた。捜査当局も、共産党の国鉄労組関係者が反対闘争を盛り上げるために行った犯行と断定、三鷹電車区分会員など10人を「電車往来危険、同転覆、同致死罪」で起訴した。分会員9人はすべて解雇者であり、竹内景助以外は共産党員であった。下山(しもやま)事件に続くこの事件は、国労の反対闘争に大打撃を与え、国労中央委員会がストを含む実力行使の方針を撤回する一方で、解雇は順調に進んだ。

　公判では、被告らの共同謀議に基づき列車暴走、転覆をねらった犯行か否かが争点となったが、1950年8月11日の一審（東京地裁）は、共同謀議は実体のない「空中楼閣である」として、単独犯行を主張した竹内被告を無期懲役にしたほか、他の9被告には無罪を宣告した。ついで51年3月30日の二審も、共同謀議は証明不十分として一審を支持したが、竹内には死刑を言い渡した。55年6月22日、最高裁は8対7という僅差(きんさ)の多数決で上告棄却、刑が確定した。竹内被告は上告審前後から無実を主張し、棄却後も再審を請求していたが、再審決定審理中の67年1月病死した。なお、最高裁が口頭弁論を開かず判決を言い渡したことが、学界・法曹界で問題化し、以後最高裁における死刑事件審理では口頭弁論を開く慣行が生まれた。

［荒川章二］

『小松良郎著『三鷹事件』（1967・三一書房）』▽『田中二郎他編『戦後政治裁判史録　第1巻』（1980・第一法規出版）』

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