List of massacres in Japan
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:04:56 PM Wikipedia source
The following is a list of massacres that have occurred in Japan and its predecessor entities ranging back to the Tokugawa shogunate (Some historical numbers may be approximate). The massacres are grouped into different time periods. Massacres have become a growing problem in contemporary Japan in recent years, with at least 110+ deaths during the 2010s. Most notably, the 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack claimed at least 36 lives and injured an additional 34. It is one of the deadliest massacres in Japan since the end of World War II and the deadliest building fire in Japan since the 2001 Myojo 56 building fire. It was considered "suicidal terrorism" by one criminology professor at Rissho University, as the attack was reportedly intended to be a suicide mission by the suspect. In December 2021, another arson attack occurred, this time at a building in Osaka, specifically at a psychiatric clinic located on the fourth floor. It killed 25 and injured an additional 3. The suspect, who died in hospital two weeks later, is believed to have been inspired by the 2019 attack in Kyoto.
Tables
· Massacres › Heian period (794–1185)
Siege of Nara
Siege of Nara
Date
15 January 1181
Name
Siege of Nara
Location
Nara
Perpetrator
Taira clan
Deaths
4,500
Notes
The Taira clan set fire to temples and monasteries, in all 3,500 civilians, and 1,000 warrior monks died in the burning.
| Date | Name | Location | Perpetrator | Deaths | Notes |
| 15 January 1181 | Siege of Nara | Nara | Taira clan | 4,500 | The Taira clan set fire to temples and monasteries, in all 3,500 civilians, and 1,000 warrior monks died in the burning. |
· Massacres › Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Revenge of the Soga Brothers
Revenge of the Soga Brothers
Date
28 June 1193
Name
Revenge of the Soga Brothers
Location
Kamino, Fujino, Shizuoka Prefecture
Perpetrator
Soga Sukenari and Tokimune
Deaths
5+
Notes
The Soga brothers, Soga Sukenari and Tokimune, assassinated Kudō Suketsune, the killer of their biological father. The incident included a failed assassination attempt on the shogun, and resulted in many deaths and injuries of unrelated participants.
| Date | Name | Location | Perpetrator | Deaths | Notes |
| 28 June 1193 | Revenge of the Soga Brothers | Kamino, Fujino, Shizuoka Prefecture | Soga Sukenari and Tokimune | 5+ | The Soga brothers, Soga Sukenari and Tokimune, assassinated Kudō Suketsune, the killer of their biological father. The incident included a failed assassination attempt on the shogun, and resulted in many deaths and injuries of unrelated participants. |
· Massacres › Sengoku period (1467–1603)
Horikawa castle massacre [ja]
Horikawa castle massacre [ja]
Date
27 March 1569
Name
Horikawa castle massacre [ja]
Location
Horikawa castle, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
Perpetrator
Ishikawa Hanzaburo
Deaths
700
Notes
After it was captured, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered Ishikawa Hanzaburo to massacre the castle prisoners and castle denizens, including women and children. It was recorded around 700 peoples beheaded on the banks of the Miyakoda River
Siege of Mount Hiei
Siege of Mount Hiei
Date
30 September 1571
Name
Siege of Mount Hiei
Location
Inside the Enryaku-ji temple complex on Mount Hiei
Perpetrator
Oda Nobunaga's army
Deaths
1,500-4,000
Notes
Massacre of the Buddhist warrior monks who refused to submit to the warlord Oda Nobunaga.
Third siege of Nagashima
Third siege of Nagashima
Date
1574
Name
Third siege of Nagashima
Location
Nagashima fortress, Owari Province
Perpetrator
Oda Nobunaga's army
Deaths
20,000
Notes
Massacre of 20,000 Ikkō followers by the forces of Oda Nobunaga
Siege of Itami
Siege of Itami
Date
1579
Name
Siege of Itami
Location
Itami Castle, Settsu Province
Perpetrator
Oda Nobunaga's army
Deaths
670
Notes
Defenders from the Itami clan and their families were killed after the capture of Itami Castle.
Odemori Castle massacre
Odemori Castle massacre
Date
27 August 1585
Name
Odemori Castle massacre
Location
Odemori Castle. Harimichi, Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture
Perpetrator
Date Masamune's Forces
Deaths
1,000
Notes
Date Masamune's soldiers stormed Odemori Castle, killing 1,000 people, including women and children.
Kunohe rebellion
Kunohe rebellion
Date
13 March – 4 September 1591
Name
Kunohe rebellion
Location
Kunohe Castle, Mutsu Province (present-day Ninohe, Iwate Prefecture)
Perpetrator
Forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Deaths
unknown
Notes
Toyotomi Hideyoshi forces executed the prisoners, along with Kunohe Masazane himself. The remaining defenders, including women and children, were forced into the second bailey, which was then set on fire. According to contemporary records, the fire burned for three days and three nights and killed all within.
The massacre of Toyotomi Hidetsugu's entire family
The massacre of Toyotomi Hidetsugu's entire family
Date
5 September 1595
Name
The massacre of Toyotomi Hidetsugu's entire family
Location
Sanjogawara, Kyoto
Perpetrator
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Deaths
39
Notes
Hideyoshi ordered the execution of Hidetsugu's entire family, including children, wives and concubines.
| Date | Name | Location | Perpetrator | Deaths | Notes |
| 27 March 1569 | Horikawa castle massacre [ja] | Horikawa castle, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | Ishikawa Hanzaburo | 700 | After it was captured, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered Ishikawa Hanzaburo to massacre the castle prisoners and castle denizens, including women and children. It was recorded around 700 peoples beheaded on the banks of the Miyakoda River |
| 30 September 1571 | Siege of Mount Hiei | Inside the Enryaku-ji temple complex on Mount Hiei | Oda Nobunaga's army | 1,500-4,000 | Massacre of the Buddhist warrior monks who refused to submit to the warlord Oda Nobunaga. |
| 1574 | Third siege of Nagashima | Nagashima fortress, Owari Province | Oda Nobunaga's army | 20,000 | Massacre of 20,000 Ikkō followers by the forces of Oda Nobunaga |
| 1579 | Siege of Itami | Itami Castle, Settsu Province | Oda Nobunaga's army | 670 | Defenders from the Itami clan and their families were killed after the capture of Itami Castle. |
| 27 August 1585 | Odemori Castle massacre | Odemori Castle. Harimichi, Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture | Date Masamune's Forces | 1,000 | Date Masamune's soldiers stormed Odemori Castle, killing 1,000 people, including women and children. |
| 13 March – 4 September 1591 | Kunohe rebellion | Kunohe Castle, Mutsu Province (present-day Ninohe, Iwate Prefecture) | Forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi | unknown | Toyotomi Hideyoshi forces executed the prisoners, along with Kunohe Masazane himself. The remaining defenders, including women and children, were forced into the second bailey, which was then set on fire. According to contemporary records, the fire burned for three days and three nights and killed all within. |
| 5 September 1595 | The massacre of Toyotomi Hidetsugu's entire family | Sanjogawara, Kyoto | Toyotomi Hideyoshi | 39 | Hideyoshi ordered the execution of Hidetsugu's entire family, including children, wives and concubines. |
· Massacres › Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868)
Mass beheadings at the final days of the Shimabara revolt
Mass beheadings at the final days of the Shimabara revolt
Date
12–15 April 1638
Name
Mass beheadings at the final days of the Shimabara revolt
Location
Inside and around Hara Castle, Minamishimabara
Perpetrator
Shogunate army
Deaths
37,000
Notes
Rebels and sympathizers were beheaded by military forces. Afterwards, the Hara Castle was also burned to the ground.
Yoshiwara spree killing
Yoshiwara spree killing
Date
December 1696
Name
Yoshiwara spree killing
Location
Yoshiwara
Perpetrator
Sano Jirōzaemon
Deaths
?
Notes
Sano Jirōzaemon murdered dozens of prostitutes with a katana in Yoshiwara
| Date | Name | Location | Perpetrator | Deaths | Notes |
| 12–15 April 1638 | Mass beheadings at the final days of the Shimabara revolt | Inside and around Hara Castle, Minamishimabara | Shogunate army | 37,000 | Rebels and sympathizers were beheaded by military forces. Afterwards, the Hara Castle was also burned to the ground. |
| December 1696 | Yoshiwara spree killing | Yoshiwara | Sano Jirōzaemon | ? | Sano Jirōzaemon murdered dozens of prostitutes with a katana in Yoshiwara |
· Massacres › Empire of Japan (1868–1947)
Kawachi Jūningiri
Kawachi Jūningiri
Date
25 May 1893
Name
Kawachi Jūningiri
Location
Chihayaakasaka, Minamikawachi District, Osaka
Perpetrator
Kumatarō Kido and Yagorō Tani
Deaths
13 (including the perpetrators)
Notes
Kumatarō Kido and Yagorō Tani killed eleven people, including an infant. The roots of the killings were both emotional and financial. They both committed suicide after the murders.
March 1st demonstrations
March 1st demonstrations
Date
1 March 1919
Name
March 1st demonstrations
Location
Korea under Japanese rule
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Army
Deaths
7,509
Notes
15,849 Koreans wounded
Jeamni massacre
Jeamni massacre
Date
15 April 1919
Name
Jeamni massacre
Location
Hwaseong, Chōsen
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Army
Deaths
20 to 30
Notes
Killing of 20 to 30 unarmed Korean civilians inside a church in Hwaseong by the Imperial Japanese Army
Gando massacre
Gando massacre
Date
October 1920
Name
Gando massacre
Location
Jiandao
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Army
Deaths
5,000+
Shinano River incident
Shinano River incident
Date
July 1922
Name
Shinano River incident
Location
Shinano River
Perpetrator
Okura zaibatsu
Deaths
100+
Notes
Massacre of up to 100 Korean laborers who tried to escape the construction site by the Plant foremen
Kantō Massacre
Kantō Massacre
Date
September 1923
Name
Kantō Massacre
Location
Kantō region
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Army, Police and vigilante civilians
Deaths
6,000+
Notes
With the explicit and implicit approval of parts of the Japanese government, the Japanese military, police, and vigilantes murdered an estimated 6,000 people: mainly ethnic Koreans, but also Chinese and misidentified Japanese, and Japanese communists, socialists, and anarchists, Multiple incidents occurred, including the Fukuda Village Incident, Ka
Kobe shooting
Kobe shooting
Date
May 1928
Name
Kobe shooting
Location
Kobe
Perpetrator
Chinese man
Deaths
7-12 (including the perpetrator)
Notes
11 or 7 Japanese were shot to death by a Chinese man in Kobe in revenge for the Jinan incident and then he committed suicide
1931 Empress of Canada stabbings
1931 Empress of Canada stabbings
Date
5 June 1931
Name
1931 Empress of Canada stabbings
Location
aboard RMS Empress of Canada, off Japan
Perpetrator
Graciano Bilas
Deaths
2
Notes
42-year-old Filipino passenger Graciano Bilas killed two people and wounded 29 others with a knife
Tsuyama massacre
Tsuyama massacre
Date
21 May 1938
Name
Tsuyama massacre
Location
Tsuyama
Perpetrator
Mutsuo Toi
Deaths
31 (including the perpetrator)
Notes
After cutting off electricity to his village, 21-year-old Mutsuo Toi proceeded to go on a late-night killing spree with a shotgun, a katana, and an axe before killing himself, 3 injured
Chichijima incident
Chichijima incident
Date
2 September 1944
Name
Chichijima incident
Location
Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Army
Deaths
8
Notes
Japanese soldiers killed eight American airmen on Chichi Jima, in the Bonin Islands, and cannibalized four of them. The ninth, and only one to evade capture, was future U . President George H. W. Bush
Tonokiya massacre
Tonokiya massacre
Date
12 May 1945
Name
Tonokiya massacre
Location
Tonokiya, Shioya, Ogimi Village, Okinawa Prefecture
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Armed Forces
Deaths
35
Notes
Ten Japanese soldiers under the command of a sergeant major appeared in the village of Watanokiya, rounded up civilians on the beach, and killed them with grenades and other weapons. 35 people, mostly women and children, were killed and 15 were injured.
Kumejima Massacre
Kumejima Massacre
Date
June - August 1945
Name
Kumejima Massacre
Location
Kumejima, Kume Island, Okinawa
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Navy
Deaths
20
Notes
Murder of 20 residents by Imperial Japanese Navy, after they were considered spies for the American army. Part of Battle of Okinawa.
Hanaoka incident
Hanaoka incident
Date
July 1945
Name
Hanaoka incident
Location
Ōdate
Perpetrator
Imperial Japanese Army
Deaths
418
Notes
113 prisoners of war executed; 307 also died
| Date | Name | Location | Perpetrator | Deaths | Notes |
| 25 May 1893 | Kawachi Jūningiri | Chihayaakasaka, Minamikawachi District, Osaka | Kumatarō Kido and Yagorō Tani | 13 (including the perpetrators) | Kumatarō Kido and Yagorō Tani killed eleven people, including an infant. The roots of the killings were both emotional and financial. They both committed suicide after the murders. |
| 1 March 1919 | March 1st demonstrations | Korea under Japanese rule | Imperial Japanese Army | 7,509 | 15,849 Koreans wounded |
| 15 April 1919 | Jeamni massacre | Hwaseong, Chōsen | Imperial Japanese Army | 20 to 30 | Killing of 20 to 30 unarmed Korean civilians inside a church in Hwaseong by the Imperial Japanese Army |
| October 1920 | Gando massacre | Jiandao | Imperial Japanese Army | 5,000+ | |
| July 1922 | Shinano River incident | Shinano River | Okura zaibatsu | 100+ | Massacre of up to 100 Korean laborers who tried to escape the construction site by the Plant foremen |
| September 1923 | Kantō Massacre | Kantō region | Imperial Japanese Army, Police and vigilante civilians | 6,000+ | With the explicit and implicit approval of parts of the Japanese government, the Japanese military, police, and vigilantes murdered an estimated 6,000 people: mainly ethnic Koreans, but also Chinese and misidentified Japanese, and Japanese communists, socialists, and anarchists, Multiple incidents occurred, including the Fukuda Village Incident, Ka |
| May 1928 | Kobe shooting | Kobe | Chinese man | 7-12 (including the perpetrator) | 11 or 7 Japanese were shot to death by a Chinese man in Kobe in revenge for the Jinan incident and then he committed suicide |
| 5 June 1931 | 1931 Empress of Canada stabbings | aboard RMS Empress of Canada, off Japan | Graciano Bilas | 2 | 42-year-old Filipino passenger Graciano Bilas killed two people and wounded 29 others with a knife |
| 21 May 1938 | Tsuyama massacre | Tsuyama | Mutsuo Toi | 31 (including the perpetrator) | After cutting off electricity to his village, 21-year-old Mutsuo Toi proceeded to go on a late-night killing spree with a shotgun, a katana, and an axe before killing himself, 3 injured |
| 2 September 1944 | Chichijima incident | Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands | Imperial Japanese Army | 8 | Japanese soldiers killed eight American airmen on Chichi Jima, in the Bonin Islands, and cannibalized four of them. The ninth, and only one to evade capture, was future U . President George H. W. Bush |
| 12 May 1945 | Tonokiya massacre | Tonokiya, Shioya, Ogimi Village, Okinawa Prefecture | Imperial Japanese Armed Forces | 35 | Ten Japanese soldiers under the command of a sergeant major appeared in the village of Watanokiya, rounded up civilians on the beach, and killed them with grenades and other weapons. 35 people, mostly women and children, were killed and 15 were injured. |
| June - August 1945 | Kumejima Massacre | Kumejima, Kume Island, Okinawa | Imperial Japanese Navy | 20 | Murder of 20 residents by Imperial Japanese Navy, after they were considered spies for the American army. Part of Battle of Okinawa. |
| July 1945 | Hanaoka incident | Ōdate | Imperial Japanese Army | 418 | 113 prisoners of war executed; 307 also died |
References
- CTV Newshttps://www.ctvnews.ca/world/kyoto-animation-studio-arson-fire-suspect-reportedly-had-grudge-1.4515205?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D104069%3FautoPlay%3Dtrue
- The Japan Timeshttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/12/21/national/crime-legal/osaka-arson-kyoani-copycat/
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- Yahoo! Newshttps://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/6a8441ca6a7d93082fb85e7307472f46be2abd7c
- The Japan Timeshttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/19/national/history/makes-good-priest-good-looks-knack-violence/
- Yahoo! Newshttps://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/be05d1da7979a638c9d3fa9c5ad0e0018108c662
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