I'm Kento Bento. This will be part one of a two part series and is made possible by
Nebula and CuriosityStream. Tokyo, March, 1970,
31,000 feet up in the air, Japan Airlines flight 351 was reaching its cruising altitude. It had left Tokyo's Haneda Airport
no more than 10 minutes ago and was set to land in Fukuoka
in an hour's time. This was to be a relatively
short flight, a domestic affair, but little did the passengers
and crew know, it was going to be neither. As Japan Airlines flight 351 was about
to undergo a harrowing ordeal. On the plane were 122 passengers,
tourists, businessmen, first year uni students,
doctors on the way to medical conferences, really people from all walks of life, and including a few notable individuals like the high ranking Pepsi executive, the talented bass player from
the up and coming rock band, Hadaka no Rarizu, and the Roman Catholic priest from New York. Yes, this was a diverse mix with people
of varied experiences and professions, but nothing, nothing
could have prepared them for what was to come. At about 7:30 am, as the plane was flying
over the southern face of Mount Fuji, a young Japanese man got up from his seat
to make a special announcement. He was hijacking the plane. This man was Takamaro Tamiya,
a 27-year-old recent graduate. Now, this announcement wasn't met with as much terror and
panic as one would expect, as this was the year in 1970
when airline hijackings weren't illegal. It wasn't yet considered
an international crime. Yes, people were concerned
and some more than others but the general attitude towards aircraft piracy
was not how it is today. But this was about to change. As Takamaro Tamiya proceeded
to pull out a samurai sword. Yes, a samurai sword. He was for real. The seriousness of this situation
was now apparent to all. Despite this, 122 passengers
was a lot for a single hijacker, which is why he didn't come alone. With everyone now in a state of panic, Tamiya's accomplices began
to make themselves known one by one. The university students
had revealed themselves. Now, this was unexpected and bizarre. Many of the students were
still in their early years at Tokyo and Kyoto universities. Two of the most prestigious
universities in all of Japan with the youngest among them
being just 16 years old, actually still in high school. Just like their leader, Tamiya,
they wielded samurai swords, but not just that. Some had pistols and
homemade pipe bombs as well. This was confusing and terrifying. As they tried to break into the cockpit,
the distressed pilots radioed in for help, relaying the dire situation on board. It seemed it wasn't long until the hijackers
would make their way in. The rest of the students were
now tying the male passengers down to their seats as
ordered by their leader. Now, it was certainly an odd sight to see such young
Japanese recruits involved in this act of terror, nine in total. But the most surprising of
all perhaps was the identity of one particular hijacker. He was the bass player of the up-and-coming rock
band Hadaka no Rarizu. This wasn't a joke. His name was Moriaki
Wakabayashi and he was in it just as much as his fellow comrades. It was time to win things. With the cockpit finally breached and the pilots restrained, the
samurais skyjackers were now in full control of Japan
Airlines flight 351. Now, it's hard to imagine
airline security being so laxed as to allow samurais swords, pistols,
and pipe bombs to be this easily smuggled onto a plane. But 1970 was a different time. And well, the demands of the
hijackers reflected that. You see, the reason they
took control of the plane was to fly across the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean,
specifically to Havana, Cuba. This was to be their final destination. With Cuba being a communist haven led by revolutionary Fidel Castro, the nine men wanted to make
a grand political statement to the world. Hijacking a passenger
airliner right out of Tokyo and diverting it to Cuba,
the country of their dreams. As members of the
Japanese Red Army Faction, a communist militant group, hell-bent on overthrowing
the Japanese government and the monarchy, they wanted to establish contact
with revolutionary forces in Cuba so that they could receive
specialized military training for the impending revolutionary
war they would wage upon returning to Japan. They claimed they love their country
and this was the only way. But on top of that, they were
hoping the act would inspire and promote rebellion
across the rest of Asia. And this was just the beginning. Really, they wanted to
start a world revolution and they were willing to advocate it
through terror and violence. After all they had already long
threatened to wage civil war in Tokyo and Osaka. And they'd previously been involved in violent street battles and
a few small-scale bombings. Hijackings were their next
venture and these nine men, young men, were the front runners. They'd been targeted and
scouted from leftist student groups from universities across Tokyo and Kyoto. And were now ready and willing
to give everything to the cause. And yes, this included
Moriaki Wakabayashi, the bass player of the rock
group Hadaka no Rarizu, which started off as a university band
before the rise in popularity. Now, perhaps it was this
very youthful inexperience and overconfidence that led
to the first lapse in judgement which, awkwardly enough, had
to be explained to them by the pilot. You see, it was just not
possible for the plane to make it all the way
to Cuba, not even close. Why? Well, Japan Airline's flight
351 was a Boeing 727 airliner which was designed for short
to medium-range flights only, not for one making its way
halfway across the world in a single trip. The plane was simply not constructed
to cross the Pacific, much less to Cuba. And this was shocking to the hijackers as they simply hadn't
expected this turn of events. They needed a Plan B fast. One that involved an
alternate destination. But well, even that appeared
to be out of the question. As the pilots quickly informed them
of an even more pressing concern, the plane was running out of fuel. They only had enough for the
original destination, Fukuoka. Tamiya had to think on his
feet, time was ticking. Right, well, if they
had to land in Fukuoka, then they'd land in
Fukuoka, but on their terms. Now, it was about this time
that the Japanese Ministry of Transport received word of the
hijacking and was entrusted with the task of ensuring the safety
of all of the passengers. A member of the department,
vice minister Shinjiro Yamamura, would directly oversee the
hostage recovery efforts. Of course, word also got
around to the news outlets who quickly reported on the incident live. This was the first for
Japan as never before had they experienced a
hijacking of an airplane. This shocked and horrified
the entire nation. At 9:00 am, Japan Airlines flight 351
touched down at Fukuoka Airport, where they were met by a horde of spectators
and members of the media. The authorities wasted no time in surrounding the plane
as they readied themselves for the eventual standoff. With 129 hostages on board,
122 passengers and seven crew members, the hijackers felt that
they had the upper hand but it all would rest on the negotiations. As Yamamura and the authorities
prepared themselves, the negotiations began. For the next few hours, the
two sides went back and forth both unwilling to budge, with Tamiya threatening to kill
every last one of the hostages if his demands weren't met. This was an intense
negotiation with a lot at stake but eventually an agreement was reached. So, the deal was for the hijackers to release
23 of the passengers in exchange for more fuel, but it had to be enough fuel to get them
to their new destination. Now, Havana, Cuba was no longer an option.
It was too far. So they had to settle
for one within reach. After much discussion and consideration,
they decided on Pyongyang. The hijackers were going to North Korea. Now, this made sense to the nine men as North Korea was
another communist regime, ruled by another great
revolutionary, Kim Il-sung, grandfather to Kim Jong-un. They reasoned that flying
the plane to Pyongyang would still make a grand
political statement to the world. Furthermore, they had
actually already planned for a brief stopover in Pyongyang as the city had been a serious candidate to host their base of operations
for their international revolution. And they wanted to conduct
some reconnaissance while on route to Cuba. So all this just meant
a slightly longer detour to North Korea, no big deal, really. Once the dust had settled,
they'd figure out another way to Cuba. Viva la revolution. And so the deal was done. Tamiya had got what he
wanted and even better. They still had 106 hostages
on board for leverage. On the Japanese side, all the passengers released were women,
children and the elderly, the most vulnerable, which was fortunate, but not
quite what they had hoped for. The majority on the plane were
still very much in jeopardy. But now it was time to go. With the pilots having
never flown to North Korea and unable to rely on Pyongyang
air control for guidance, Fukuoka Airport officials had
to quickly pass them a map of the Korean peninsula to
navigate for themselves. That would have to do for now. But with that, Japan
Airlines flight 351 fueled up and took off, bound for the hermit kingdom. Now, aside from the Japanese, that was actually one other
group that was rather unhappy with the outcome thus far. And that was the Central
Intelligence Agency, the CIA. You see, Langley had sent over agents
for their own hostage recovery mission. As there were a couple
of US nationals on board, the Pepsi executive, Herbert Brill and the Roman Catholic priest
from New York, Daniel MacDonald. They had business to attend to in Fukuoka but now with a plane
heading towards North Korea, a nation known for their
international hostility and political reclusiveness, not to mention their general hatred and contempt
towards Americans, things weren't looking great. By now, flight 351 was well
on its way to Pyongyang. It had crossed the Tsushima Strait, f
flown over the Korean mountain ranges. And had just about reached the DMZ,
the Korean demilitarized zone. This 38th parallel is a contested border dividing the Korean peninsula
into North and South Korea. Once passed this point, there
would be no turning back. But on top of that, the
pilots were having a hard time with navigation as they were unfamiliar
with the flight route. Seeing as the countries
had no diplomatic ties, Japanese airlines and airport
controllers were simply unable to make contact with their
North Korean counterparts. The Japanese pilots didn't even know
where the airport in Pyongyang was located. Sure, they were given a map by airport officials
shortly before leaving Fukuoka but they were astounded to discover it was just a basic line map
taken from a junior high school textbook. It had little to no detail,
certainly no aviation map. The airport officials understandably
had little time to prepare, but this was ridiculous. There was no way they
could fly to North Korea, using this map. Moreover, the North Koreans had no idea
they were even coming, a major cause for concern. It's common knowledge among pilots that the airspace above
the DMZ is a no-fly zone with a long running formal agreement that any aircraft entering
could be shot down for any reason, with
no grounds for redress. If this were to happen, it
would surely precipitate an international incident. As such, the pilots tried
desperately to make contact with the Pyongyang control
tower, attempting to warn them of their unique circumstances. Pyongyang, Pyongyang, please respond. Pyongyang, this is JAL flight 351. Pyongyang, please respond. Nothing. The pilots frantically
warned the hijackers of the potential fiery end they could meet
if they were to fly any further. But Tamiya insisted they continue. He was steadfast in their
revolutionary mission. Even proclaiming that North
Korea was no threat to them as he would personally recruit Kim Il-sung
to the Japanese Red Army, if need be. And so the pilots had no choice,
with samurai swords pointing at their necks and with permission yet to be granted by Pyongyang, Japan Airlines flight 351 entered the DMZ. Moments later, North
Korean fighter jets emerged from the clouds opening
fire at the passenger plane. They had entered North Korean airspace, but just like that, it was
over, the firing stopped. The pilots realized, well,
it must've been warning fire. At that moment, there was a
faint response on the radio. This is Pyongyang.
This is Pyongyang. Respond. Respond. It was in English,
but in a heavy Korean accent. The pilots relieved at
finally making contact tried their hardest to
explain their predicament to the Pyongyang control tower. This must've sounded quite
bizarre to the North Koreans as nothing like this had
ever happened before. But despite the unusual request, after some back and forth,
flight 351 was permitted to land in Pyongyang. They would however, be closely
escorted by the fighter jets. Now, the hijackers were elated. This was what they had hoped for,
acceptance from their communist allies. But as the plane continued
flying deeper and deeper into the reclusive state, it was becoming quite clear
to the rest of those onboard, the passengers and crew, that
their fate no longer rested in the hands of the hijackers,
but the hermit kingdom. At 3:19 pm, Japan Airlines
flight 351 touched down at Mirim Airport in Eastern
Pyongyang, where they were met by a swarm of military personnel. They were North Korean
soldiers, policemen, high ranking officials but also surprisingly
sympathetic crowds of civilians, holding up welcome signs,
as well as a choir of school girls singing North Korean greeting songs, welcoming the hijackers, well,
in their eyes, defectors, to their glorious nation. Outside the aircraft, an
announcement could be heard, blasting over the loudspeaker. This is the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea presided by the great leader, Kim Il-sung. For those who are fighting
against Japanese imperialism, we welcome you. This was a somewhat elaborate reception and a magnificent sight
for the student radicals but for the hostages, it
was deeply unsettling. It wasn't long until a
North Korean official approached the plane to officially receive
the foreign visitors. This was it. Tamiya and his men were about
to join their communist brethren. Now, meanwhile, in a nearby
hangar, the Japanese authorities and the CIA were getting ready
to launch the rescue mission. It was now or never. All that was needed was for the nine men to be learned far enough
away from the plane by the fake North Korean official. This was what it had
all been leading up to. You see, the hijackers had indeed ended up in the Korean capital, but
it was just one problem. It was the wrong one. Back in Fukuoka, the Japanese authorities and the CIA failed to
recover all the hostages and negotiations did not go as planned but there was absolutely no way they were going to let 106
Japanese and American hostages fly right into the heart of North Korea. Instead, they opted for the Seoul. They knew they wouldn't have long until the plane ended up
in North Korean airspace. So they had to think on
their feet, time was ticking. Right. Well, if the plane had
to land in Pyongyang, then they'd land in
Pyongyang, but on their terms. This was their plan B. With the negotiations over,
they sprung into action. First thing, they needed to
get the South Koreans on board. If they were gonna pull this off,
there needed to be exhaustive cooperation between all three countries,
Japan, the US, and South Korea. Something the hijackers
could never have imagined. They had less than an
hour to get this done. Now, on the plane, the pilots were attempting
to navigate to Pyongyang but they were astounded to
discover the map they were given was unusable, a basic line map taken
from a junior high school textbook. There was no way they could
fly to North Korea with this. As the captain was about
to throw the map away, he suddenly notices a handwritten
note at the top corner, no aviation map, but tune into
frequency 121.5 megacycles. He did as instructed. Not long after entering the DMZ, North Korean fighter jets emerged from the clouds firing anti-aircraft shells
at the passenger plane, or at least, that's who those on board
thought was firing at them. In reality, this was the
South Korean Air Force attempting to fool the hijackers into thinking they had now
entered North Korean airspace. Having tuned into the
frequency 121.5 megacycles, the pilots and the hijackers
then received a message from who they thought was
the Pyongyang control tower. This is Pyongyang. Respond. Respond. Spoken in a heavy Korean accent. This was, however, sent by
air traffic control in Seoul. To this day, because of differing
accounts of the situation, it's still unknown to the extent to which the pilots
were aware of this ruse. Perhaps they were in the dark,
just as much as the hijackers or perhaps they were key coordinators
of the plan themselves. Regardless, what we do know
is that following the instructions that were received on
frequency 121.5 megacycles, the pilots were able to
safely direct flight 351 back across the DMZ,
eventually touching down at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. That was the reason
for the rudimentary map because the Japanese
authorities never planned for the pilots to use it at all. They were never going to Pyongyang. Now, the countdown was on.
The hour was almost done. As the plane touched down on the runway, the South Korean airport
officials were frantically putting the finishing touches
on their makeshift renovation. You see, the final piece of the deception involved disguising Seoul's Gimpo airport
to look like one in Pyongyang. They did this by covering up
any South Korean related items and branding and removing
all South Korean flags, replacing them with North Korean flags. South Korean police were also dressed up
in communist uniforms and North Korean military attire. And random actors performing the role
of the sympathetic public held up welcome signs in the hopes of putting
the hijackers at ease. A crowd of girls from a
nearby school was even cast to sing North Korean greeting songs
to add as much authenticity as possible. This was the best they
could do, given the time. Blasting over the loudspeakers. This is the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea presided by the great leader, Kim Il-sung. For those who are fighting
against Japanese imperialism, we welcome you. The fake North Korean official
approached the plane greeting the hijackers with a megaphone. We have prepared a
shuttle bus to take you, the revolutionary heroes
to meet the great leader and premier Kim Il-sung. The Japanese, American,
and South Korean authorities, meanwhile, were waiting in the wings. Vice minister Yamamura was ready. With the ramp stairs
rolled up to the fuselage, the hijackers prepared to disembark. They were riding high. This was what they had been waiting for
after sacrificing everything to the cause, their moment had come. This was a revolutionary
victory for the ages. One by one, they made
their way to the exit. What they didn't know though was that their struggles
were far from over. This was only the beginning. Now the rest of this incredible
story will be covered in part two and will be released
on YouTube in a few weeks. So make sure you have
notifications turned on. But there's actually another video coming out
even sooner that you can watch, the Prequel Events. If you wanna know all about what led up
to the hijacking of Japan Airlines flight 351, who the mastermind was, why Tamiya was never
supposed to be the leader, how the Japanese authorities watched on as the hijackers boarded the plane
in Tokyo's Haneda Airport, yup, they knew. Well, you can check out
this special prequel video exclusive to Nebula. It'll be coming out in April. There's a whole story to be told
before they even step foot on the plane. And, well, you can also check out there
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This is an insane story. How come they havent made a movie about it?
Such a great video, why so few upvotes?