13/07/2026
In 1960, a 17-year-old walked onto a live television stage in Tokyo — and changed Japanese history forever.
On October 12, 1960, one of Japan’s most powerful politicians, Inejiro Asanuma, was delivering a speech at Hibiya Public Hall during a televised election debate. Millions were watching as the chairman of the Japan Socialist Party addressed the nation.
Then, without warning, a teenager rushed onto the stage.
His name was Otoya Yamaguchi, a high school student and member of a small ultranationalist group. In his hands was a wakizashi, a traditional Japanese short sword associated with the samurai era.
In front of a stunned audience, Yamaguchi attacked Asanuma, fatally stabbing him during the live broadcast. The politician collapsed, and the nation watched in disbelief as an act of political violence unfolded before their eyes.
The assassin was immediately captured.
But the shocking moment was preserved forever by photographer Yasushi Nagao, who captured the exact instant of the attack. His image became one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century and earned him the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. 📷
The photograph represented a powerful contradiction:
an ancient weapon from Japan’s feudal past being used during the modern age of television and mass communication.
It was a moment where old ideology collided with a rapidly changing Japan.
Yamaguchi never faced a full trial. Just weeks after the assassination, on November 2, 1960, he was found dead in his juvenile detention cell after taking his own life. Investigators later discovered political messages written on his cell wall using toothpaste, expressing his extreme nationalist beliefs and devotion to the emperor.
The assassination occurred during one of the most politically divided periods in postwar Japan. The country was experiencing intense conflict over the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, with massive protests and growing tension between left-wing and right-wing movements.
Asanuma had become a major target for Japanese ultranationalists because of his criticism of American policies in Asia and his visit to Communist China in 1959.
Today, the attack remains one of the most unforget
