Japanese police stormed a mountain lodge near Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, to end a ten-day siege by members of the paramilitary group United Red Army.

Law enforcement in Japan

Law enforcement in Japan is provided mainly by prefectural police under the oversight of the National Police Agency. The National Police Agency is administered by the National Public Safety Commission, ensuring that Japan's police are an apolitical body and free of direct…

Karuizawa, Nagano

Town in Chūbu, Japan

Karuizawa is a resort town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2016, the town had an estimated population of 20,323 in 9897 households, and a population density of 130 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 156.03 km2 (60.24 sq mi).

Nagano Prefecture

Prefecture in central Japan

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 and has a geographic area of 13,561.56 square kilometres (5,236.15 sq mi). Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north,…

Asama-Sansō incident

1972 hostage crisis and police siege in Japan

The Asama-Sansō incident was a hostage crisis and police standoff at a mountain lodge near Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, which lasted from February 19 to February 28, 1972. The police rescue operation on the final day of the standoff was the first marathon live…

United Red Army

Revolutionary group in Japan

The United Red Army (URA) was a far-left militant organization that operated in Japan between July 1971 and March 1972. The URA was formed as the result of a merger that began on 13 July 1971 between two extremist groups, the Marxist–Leninist–Maoist Red Army Faction , led in…