List of massacres in Japan

This is a list of domestic massacres mostly committed by civilians or the military within Japan itself. Hence, numerous Japanese war crimes often committed overseas during wartime that have also been classified as massacres may not be present in this list, such as the Nanjing massacre, Sook Ching massacre, Changjiao massacre, Kalagon massacre, Palawan massacre, among others.

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.[1] 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.[2]

  1. ^ Yamaguchi, Mari (19 July 2019). "Kyoto Animation studio arson fire suspect reportedly had grudge". CTV News. CTV. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Osaka clinic fire suspect may have copied Kyoto Animation arson attack". The Japan Times. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.