NHK Special's regular broadcast of the popular series "Unsolved Cases" (General TV, Saturday 10pm) will feature "File 13: Shinjuku Kabukicho Building Fire" on February 28th.
"Please come quickly. It's scary." "There are about 10 or 20 people (in the store). We can't escape." These were the cries for help that the victim called the fire department that day. On September 1, 2001, a fire broke out in a multi-tenant building in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo, resulting in a catastrophic loss of life for 44 customers and employees. The fire started near a staircase that was meant to be an escape route. Garbage and other items left there caught fire, leaving the victims with no way to escape. Police, suspecting arson, deployed around 200 people to investigate, but the culprit has yet to be identified.
The program obtained footage of the interior of the building after the fire broke out. It examines what happened from multiple angles based on the testimony of firefighters who were on the front lines of the rescue and fire scientists who investigated the incident. It also interviews investigators who pursued the arsonist at the time. Why has the cause of this catastrophic fire remained unsolved? Pursuing this mystery reveals the unique circumstances of the Kabukicho district that have prevented the truth from being revealed.
Further investigation revealed that there were survivors for at least 10 minutes after the fire started, desperately calling for help. There were also eyewitness accounts of a mysterious figure escaping the burning building and walking away... We also uncovered the untold story of the investigators who took on the investigation to question the building's "responsibility for safety management." By shedding light on the "attitude of building owners who disregarded safety measures," we can also consider the issues that the fire has raised for society.
This program also looks at another scar left by the fire. As the incident occurred in the busy Kabukicho district, the victims were subjected to heartless criticism. The bereaved families continue to suffer, even now, 25 years after the incident. Despite losing two daughters at the same time, the mother said, "I had no one to turn to." Clutching her son's shirt, which had been engulfed in smoke and stained black, one family member asks, "If there is a culprit, please take a look. What will you think when you see this?" The bereaved families, afraid to speak out, have only allowed time to pass without the truth being revealed, and their grief has deepened without any outlet. Here they open up.
"Unsolved Cases" is a popular series on NHK Special that began airing in 2011 and unravels historical cases through thorough investigative reporting. It will begin airing as a regular program in October 2025, unearthing new facts and testimonies, while also highlighting connections to the present day and lessons learned. Announcer Mayuko Wakuda will serve as Caster and main narrator.
