Assassination of Inejirō Asanuma

Date: October 12, 1960 • Location: Tokyo, Japan

Japan Socialist Party leader Inejirō Asanuma (pictured) was assassinated during a live television recording by a far-right ultra-nationalist using a short sword.

The Japan Socialist Party was a major socialist, progressive, and left-wing political party in Japan. Established in 1945, the party was the primary representative of the Japanese left and main opponent of the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party for most of its existence.