Shimoyama incident
Removal of Shimoyama's remains from the Jōban Line. | |
| Native name | 下山事件 |
|---|---|
| Date | July 5–6, 1949 |
| Time | 8:20 - 01:00 (Japan DST (UTC+8)) |
| Location | Mitsukoshi main branch, Chūō, Tokyo (last seen alive) Nihonbashi, JNR Jōban Line, between Kita-Senju and Ayase Stations (body found) |
| Cause | Unknown (Disputed) |
| Motive | Unknown (Disputed) |
| Perpetrator | Unknown (Disputed) |
| Outcome | Shimoyama is found deceased on the 6th after having been run over by a train |
| Deaths | 1 (Sadanori Shimoyama) |
The Shimoyama incident (下山事件, Shimoyama jiken) was the disappearance and death of Sadanori Shimoyama, the first president of Japanese National Railways, in Tokyo on 5 July 1949. Shimoyama disappeared on his way to work and his body was discovered on the Jōban Line in Adachi the next day. The media offered conflicting explanations involving suicide and murder, while the police did not publicly report the results of their investigation, which was then ended. The Shimoyama incident, the Mitaka incident, and the Matsukawa derailment occurred within two months of one another, and together are known as JNR's Three Big Mysteries.