incident incident hostage crisis police siege mountain lodge near japan lasted february february police rescue operation final day marathon live television broadcast japan lasting hours minutes incident began armed members following bloody purge left members group plus dead broke holiday lodge mount taking wife lodge keeper hostage police took place lasting days lodge natural fortress constructed thick concrete steep entrance guns enabled hostage police distance february police stormed lodge police officers killed assault hostage rescued taken custody incident contributed decline popularity leftist movements japan background japan leftist student movement 1960s japan universities late decade competitive violent series incidents leftist student groups attacked injured killed law enforcement officials general public japan national police agency cracked student groups raiding arresting dozens attempting conceal police core group retreated compound winter second week february compound chairman vice chairman referred initiated violent purge group members purge directed deaths beating members non member happened present members tied trees outside death mountain winter air february police arrested members compound nearby village armed rifles managed escape fleeing foot mountains nearby graduate senior brother incident sighting police pursuit near community february took refuge vacation lodge called owned entered lodge discovered year old wife lodge person building husband walking dog lodge guests gone ice skating took hostage gunpoint building lodge structure stronghold lodge named nearby story wood concrete built hill atop exposed base steel reinforced concrete upper floor slightly larger giving lodge mushroom appearance building steep snow covered slopes lodge windows heavy outer storm building maze like floor plan narrow easy defenders block movement inside building spend time floor contained kitchen dining room mat sleeping room commanding view surrounding valley hills placed large pieces furniture doors windows secured place wire husband returned saw realized happened quickly notified police police immediately set surrounded lodge cut avenues escape inside police decided wait surrender days surrender offer hostage police shut electricity lodge set parents surrender avail participating parents son killed purge incident police parent unaware extent purge known february police began prepare assault lodge ball crane armored driver compartment positioned near building police armed heavy husband release wife ignored february police baseball pitching machine bombard building rocks hostage awake night police moved position assault february issued final ultimatum hour later went ball crane began batter lodge walls police approached building began break noon police occupied lower floors floor police experienced difficulty defenses floor hours later police directed high pressure water floor large holes building walls cold water time kept continuous gunfire assaulting police threw bombs policemen shot killed policemen injured civilian observer area police permission shot reportedly fatally wounded darkness fell police breached floor captured brothers remaining pile refused surrender police approached shot policemen eye lost eye survived eventually hours incident began remaining taken custody rescued cold told police captors tied bed evening son behavior father hanged home city near media coverage stand incident extensively covered japanese broadcast media gave frequent reports updates photo shown repeatedly television february public broadcaster began live continuous coverage siege lasted night ratings non stop coverage averaged peaked vehicle traffic noticeably lighter day tokyo aftermath charged counts murders attempted murder police execution duties violation illegal confinement sentenced long prison terms sentenced death june rejected appeal leaving death row awaiting execution august japanese government released flew asylum libya response demands members stormed american swedish malaysia taken hostages later believed assisted flight paris tokyo forcing jet land remains large reportedly spent time russia china philippines japan remained area working lodge refused speak ordeal initial statements police press rescued incident airport massacre occurred months later contributed intense social backlash population japan radical student leftist groups incident leftist movement japan greatly decreased numbers enjoyed popular support film incident titled won award october tokyo international film festival books mark isbn movies choice hercules internet movie database web october death row convict wins libel case court dismisses death row inmates translation appeals retrieved february wanted radical philippines sources february film looks retrieved march leave positive says radical incident years television roger february japan governing 70s legacy mark march final days revolutionary struggle japan japanese
Asama-Sansō incident