Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato Akihiko Addresses Crisis
Unknown Entity Targets Kanagawa Institute of Subatomic Research
By Hiroshi Yamamoto
This article originally appeared in The Kokumin Chronicle and is reprinted with permission.
The city of Tokyo is reeling from one of the most serious incidents in modern Japanese history since the 1998 Tokyo Bay Cargo Disaster. What began as a confusing series of simultaneous emergencies now appears to be hardening into a coordinated, multi-pronged attack on the nation’s capital, authorities confirmed early this morning.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato Akihiko, who addressed the press in the early hours, acknowledged that investigators are no longer treating the events as a coincidence. The sheer synchronicity of the container ship fire, the city-wide gas alarm triggers, and the high-security breach at the Kanagawa Institute of Subatomic Research (KISR) points to a level of planning and execution never before witnessed in Japan.
What We Know
KISR Incident
While initial reports were vague, it is now understood that the turmoil caused by the city’s gridlock and public panic was exploited to facilitate a highly targeted intrusion at the Kanagawa Institute of Subatomic Research. Although the investigation remains in its early stages, authorities have confirmed that an armed confrontation took place inside the facility, leaving two security officers dead and a third critically injured. He is expected to survive.
The surviving officer, identified as Mr. Arata Kurose, 48, a senior security specialist at the institute and a former First Sergeant in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Special Forces Group, has provided investigators with a detailed preliminary account from his hospital bed.
Mr. Kurose, who served nearly three decades in national defense, was wounded early in the assault but reportedly continued to engage the intruders until he lost consciousness due to blood loss and blast trauma. He sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder, a concussion from blast overpressure, and multiple shrapnel injuries caused by a shaped breaching charge.
According to his testimony, the assailants moved with “alarming precision,” breaching KISR’s internal metal shield barriers, which normally deploy automatically during an intrusion alert. The firefight lasted only minutes. Stun grenades were used to disorient the defenders, and as the attackers pressed toward the Library Vault, a secure archival chamber, Mr. Kurose reported seeing what appeared to be a separate support element evacuating wounded members of their own team.
During the early-morning press briefing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato was asked directly whether the attackers had gained access to the Library Vault.
Sato paused before answering, choosing his words carefully.
“At this stage, we can confirm that an intrusion into one of the secure archival areas did occur,” he said. “However, due to the sensitivity of the items stored there, we are not in a position to disclose the extent of the breach or what, if anything, may have been compromised.”
Pressed to clarify what exactly is stored inside the vault, Sato returned to the microphone after reviewing his notes.
“Let me address this carefully,” he began. “There has been some speculation online about hazardous or experimental materials. I want to state clearly: the Library Vault does not contain chemicals, radioactive substances, or active experimental prototypes.”
He continued:
“The vault is an archival chamber for research documentation. Institutes engaged in advanced scientific work follow strict protocols. Researchers are required to record each experiment in sequentially numbered logs. Reagents taken from internal stores must be noted, their usage recorded, and all documentation returned to a secure repository at the end of the workday.”
Reporters scribbled rapidly as Sato elaborated with unusual clarity:
“These procedures exist to protect intellectual property, ensure reproducibility, and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive or proprietary research. The Library Vault stores these logs and data sets. It is a controlled information archive, not a materials storage facility.”
When asked whether any documents were taken or copied during the intrusion, Sato again adopted a more cautious tone.
“Investigators are still assessing the extent of the breach,” he said. “I cannot offer details at this stage. What I can say is that the existing protocols allowed for the rapid detection of unauthorized access. We are working closely with the institute to determine what actions the intruders may have attempted.”
Pressed once more about the value of the information stored in the vault, he offered only:
“The institute conducts research that contributes to Japan's scientific and technological leadership. The security of its intellectual assets is a priority. Further disclosures will be made when appropriate.”
Asked whether investigators have found any connection between the incident and the events in Moscow on November 6th, during the Kremlin flagging ceremony for the Severnaya Zemlya Expedition, in which Dr. Tanaka, a senior KISR researcher, participated, Sato replied abruptly:
“Investigators have not found any relation to the November 6th Moscow incident, and I am not going to speculate at this time.”
MV Orinoco Mistress Fire and Gas Leaks
Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato also addressed the numerous gas leaks reported around the capital. He commended emergency personnel for containing the leaks swiftly and without casualties, an outcome he called “a testament to their professionalism.”
“Their performance was impeccable,” he added.
Regarding the fire aboard the MV Orinoco Mistress, Sato explained that the blaze in the vessel’s electric-vehicle bay had reached a thermal runaway state and could no longer be safely contained. For that reason, the ship was being towed out to sea, where the fire would be allowed to burn under the supervision of firefighting vessels.
He reaffirmed that the crew abandoned ship only after their onboard firefighting efforts proved unsuccessful.
Next Steps
Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato concluded the press conference by stating that the government of Japan “will not rest” until the perpetrators of these coordinated attacks are identified and brought to justice.
The names of the deceased officers are being withheld out of respect for their families.
Hiroshi Yamamoto covers national and international affairs for The Kokumin Chronicle.
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