Train Arson Attack (電車焼き討ち事件)
Densha Yakiuchi Jiken (literally Train Arson Attack) was to cause arson to trains and other facilities.
Major examples of Train Arson Attack
Train arsons in Tokyo city (later known as Tokyo Metropolitan Train).
It was decided in 1906 that three railroad companies called Tokyo Densha Tetsudo (Tokyo Train Railway), Tokyo Shigai Tetsudo (Tokyo City Railway) and Tokyo Denki Tetsudo (Tokyo Electric Railway) that ran streetcars within Tokyo City in those days merged under the new name of Tokyo Tetsudo. Each company costed three sen (hundredth of a yen), and extra three yen was charged for changing to the train line of another company. As much of the commuters of those days demanded a standardized fare and all companies suffered from the new transportation tax due to the Russo-Japanese War, they decided to merge and fix the fare to four sen.
However, citizens strongly opposed to the raise of the fare and held the 'Public Gathering of Citizens Opposing to the Increase of Train Fare' as the day came close. Citizens who became violent performed violent acts such as threw stones at trains causing arson repeatedly. The number of the trains destructed during this incident amounted to 54, and more than 100 people were arrested. These incidents also left the growing demand for the public operation of railroad companies, and resulted in the acquisition by Tokyo City in 1911.
Arson at Nagoya Denki Tetsudo (former name of Nagoya Shiden) (Nagoya City Train).
In 1914, people under the economy depression (it was just soon after the First World War occurred) were frustrated with the high price of the fare of Nagoyo Denki Testudo ran streetcars in Nagoya city. The frustration became more apparent when Nagoya Denki Tetsudo raised the fare, and one democracy organization held 'Public Meeting Concerning The Drop Of The Train Fare' at the Tsurumai park and many people gathered there to accuse their monopoly supply of the railroad service within the city. Some participants resulted to violence at the end of the meeting, and the situation developed into the destruction and arson of city train running across every parts of the city, facilities of the Yanagibashi station that was a terminal port for the suburban line, headquarter of Nagoya Denki Tetsudo adjacent to it, and 23 trains. The authorities of Nagoya city came to realize the necessity of promoting the municipalization of railways in the city due to this incident, and to settle the situation let Nagoya Denki Tetsudo make an promise they would pass the right to all lines to the Nagoya city within the next 25 years, and Nagoya Denki Tetsudo was spilt into Nagoya Tetsudo (Nagoya Railway Co., Ltd.) and Nagoya Shiden (Nagoya City Railway) in 1922.