'Sunagawa Struggle' ignited anti-U.S. base resistance across Japan (original) (raw)
On May 4, 1955, a black car rolled into the Tokyo suburb of Sunagawa and sparked one of the biggest anti-U.S. base protests in history. The car parked in front of the home of the town mayor, who was inside with members of the community celebrating his recent mayoral election.
When an official from the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo Procurement Office entered the house, partygoers assumed he was there to offer his own congratulations. He was not.
"The truth is," the official said, "Tachikawa Base is going to expand again and we would really appreciate your cooperation in any way."
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