Security questioned following self-immolation on Japanese bullet train
Experts point to blind spots in Japan's bullet train system and complacency setting in
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 05 July, 2015, 10:54am
UPDATED : Sunday, 05 July, 2015, 10:54am
Associated Press in Tokyo
Police step up security on trains after the incident. Photo: Kyodo
A fatal fire on Japan's bullet train, started by a man who self-immolated this week, has revealed blind spots in a system renowned for its speed, punctuality and safety record.
Riding the Shinkansen feels like being in an airplane: at 300km/h, it goes so fast in and out of tunnels that it must be airtight. Windows cannot be opened, and doors open only when the train fully stops, which takes several minutes.
Yet, in a country with strict gun control and a low crime rate, security is lax - no identification or baggage checks are required.
On Tuesday, Haruo Hayashizaki, a 71-year-old retiree, poured a flammable liquid over himself and lit it while riding a bullet train heading to Osaka from Tokyo. He died on the spot. Smoke filled the coach, choking a female passenger to death.
It was the first fire in the train's 50-year history. Experts say it was a wake-up call to something more disastrous, potentially a terrorist attack, and it's time to step up risk management ahead of the G7 summit in Japan next year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"The incident took advantage of the blind spots on the Shinkansen," said Seiji Abe, an expert on transportation safety at Kansai University in Osaka. "Fire caused by malicious intentions was not anticipated, and provisions to keep out hazardous materials were not in place."
So far, authorities haven't found any mishandling by the train operator, but the initial investigation and witness accounts have raised questions, including how quickly crew members grasped the situation and whether there should be a better way to clear smoke from the hermetically sealed cars.
A passenger pushed an emergency button, but unlike some newer models, this train was not equipped with an emergency intercom, said Tomoyuki Sano, a spokesman for Central Japan Railway, which operates the Tokyo-Osaka bullet train.
That meant that crew members knew something had happened in the area where the button was pressed, but were most likely unaware it was a fire until they arrived at the scene.
In a standard emergency procedure, the overhead electric power was cut off for a 20km stretch to keep the tracks clear for police and rescue workers. The train's ventilation system was also shut off.
Satoru Sone, an expert on railway safety at Kogakuin University in Tokyo, said the power should never be turned off, because ventilation was crucial to getting smoke out.
"In Japan, everyone is so complacent about safety while on a train, unlike overseas," he said, noting trains elsewhere have been targeted by terrorists.
A 1964 law on violations related to bullet train safety doesn't mention arson, and even today, inflammable ceilings and fireretardant seats on the train are mainly intended to prevent fire caused by glitches, experts say.
"The system is based on the view of human nature as fundamentally good, which I think is universal," Abe said. "Unfortunately, in every society there are some people who do evil, and it is extremely important to take precautions to stop these people."
Police haven't determined the motive, though Japanese media quoted neighbours as saying Hayashizaki repeatedly complained about his pension.
