"Bomb Threat to Lecture Venue"... University of Tokyo Festival Suspended and Then Resumed After Threatening Email

Threatening Email Received After Announcement of Sanseito Party Leader's Lecture
Festival Resumes After Authorities Judge Terror Risk to Be Low
Clashes Break Out Between Protesters and Organizers

The University of Tokyo, Japan’s most prestigious university, temporarily suspended its annual festival after receiving a threatening email following the announcement that a far-right party leader would give a lecture at the event.

Sohei Kamiya, leader of the Japanese Constitutional Democratic Party. Instagram

According to Yonhap News, citing sources such as the Sankei Shimbun on the 17th, the University of Tokyo initially announced the suspension of all events for the "Gogatsusai (May Festival)," which was scheduled to be held over two days starting May 16. However, after determining there were no safety management issues, the university resumed the festival.

The suspension began when a student political club at the University of Tokyo’s Hongo campus announced a lecture by Sohei Kamiya, representative of the Sanseito Party. After the organizers received a threatening email warning of a bomb attack on the lecture venue, the university, in consultation with the police, halted the entire event before the lecture for safety reasons. Later, authorities judged the risk of terrorism, including bomb attacks, to be low; security was reinforced and the festival resumed, with bag checks conducted at the entrances. According to Kyodo News, long lines of people hoping to attend the festival formed in front of the main gate of the University of Tokyo.

At the venue where the lecture was supposed to take place, protesters opposing the Sanseito Party staged demonstrations with placards and clashed with the organizers. A man in his 50s, who opposed Kamiya's lecture, told Kyodo News, "He repeatedly makes discriminatory remarks. While I do not wish to infringe upon the university’s autonomy, it is not appropriate for him to speak in an academic setting."

Sohei Kamiya, who has led the Sanseito Party since its founding in April 2020, is known for advocating hardline right-wing positions, including stricter policies on foreigners and nuclear armament. In the House of Councillors election last July, the Sanseito Party made significant gains, increasing its seats from one to fourteen and creating a sensation in Japanese politics. The party’s "Japan First" slogan, calls for tougher regulations on foreigners, and constitutional revision attracted conservative voters who defected from the Liberal Democratic Party and others.

Following the House of Councillors election, the Sanseito Party’s approval rating soared to over 13 percent, fueling talk of a "Sanseito Syndrome." However, there are now reports that this fervor is gradually fading. In an NHK poll conducted in January, the party’s approval rating stood at 2.6 percent, and surveys by Nikkei Shimbun and TV Tokyo also showed a clear decline compared to immediately after the election. According to local media, experts noted that as existing conservative parties like the Liberal Democratic Party absorbed the Sanseito Party’s core pledges, the distinction between them became blurred.

Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo’s May Festival has long served as a stage for various politicians. According to the Sankei Shimbun, last year’s festival featured Takayuki Kobayashi, the current Policy Chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, who participated in a Q&A session with students.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.