TOKYO: Koki Nakata, 85, vividly remembers details of a mission he joined as a riot policeman to deal with the hostage crisis at the Asama Sanso mountain lodge in the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, 50 years ago.

As a member of a squad tasked with storming the lodge occupied by five armed members of the now-defunct United Red Army, Nakata contributed to the rescue of the hostage, the wife of the caretaker of the holiday lodge, while taking dozens of bullets with his shields.

“We’ll save your wife for sure,” he told the husband of Yasuko Muta before the rescue mission in the incident that started Feb. 19, 1972.

Nakata recounted details of the hostage crisis in an interview held ahead of the 50th anniversary of the drama.

Members of the 9th riot unit of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene on the morning of Feb. 20, and took charge of security around the lodge, according to Nakata, who was a platoon leader of the riot unit at the time.

After a standoff, the police carried out the rescue operation on Feb. 28, the 10th day of the incident, in which a wrecking ball attached to a crane truck was used before riot officers stormed the lodge.

After the commander of the MPD’s 2nd riot unit was shot, it was decided that officers of the 9th unit would enter the lodge’s third floor, where the militant group members were.

The commander of the 9th unit told Nakata: “A small group of officers should go first. The Nagano prefectural police will send two officers, so I want your platoon to do the same.”

“Sergeant Meguro and I will go,” Nataka replied.

He never forgets the words he said to the hostage’s husband, who was in tears as he looked toward the lodge, on the second day of the drama. “Don’t worry, we, riot police, will surely rescue your wife.”

On the evening of the 10th day of the incident, Nakata entered the lodge through the emergency exit on the third floor and looked into the dining room from the kitchen. But none of the militant group members was there.

He entered the dining room and then moved into the corridor leading to a bedroom at the back. More riot police officers followed. After he moved ahead a little further, he saw a barricade made with a small refrigerator and furniture.

Suddenly, he came under heavy fire. With double shields in his hands, Nakata protected himself and Sergeant Meguro, who was trying to remove the barricade by his side.

Dozens of bullets were fired by the militant group members, and some of them penetrated his first shield and were barely blocked by the second one.

His face felt hot so he thought he was shot. But it was not a bullet. He was hit by a fragment of wall destroyed in the shooting. He was unable to open fire for fear of bullets hitting the hostage.

After the commander ordered all officers to rush in, Nakata dashed to the bed at the far end of the dark bedroom.

Nakata saw a person in front of him, whom he thought to be one of the United Red Army members, so he tugged the person’s right hand.

He heard a woman’s voice saying, “I’m not one of them.” Looking at her face, Nakata recognized that the person was Muta, whom he had seen in a picture.

“I’m glad you’re alive. We came here to save you,” he recalled thinking. He handed her over to Sergeant Meguro and other officers behind him, and handcuffed one of the five members of the militant group.

“I thought I would die on that mission,” Nakata recalled.

“Even after 50 years, I still feel sad when I think of those who died in the line of duty, the 2nd riot unit members who lost their captain in the mission, and the woman who was taken hostage.”

In the hostage incident, three people–two riot police officers and a civilian–were shot to death, and 27 other people were injured. The raid was broadcast live on television, attracting huge public attention.

JIJI Press