David Peace on murder of head of Japan's rail service in 1949 - a podcast by RNZ

It was a case that gripped Japan. Shimoyama Sadanori, head of Japan National Railways, was found dead on the tracks of a commuter rail line one July morning in 1949. The day before he disappeared he'd released a list of 30-thousand rail employees who were about to lose their jobs. Was it suicide - or murder? Kathryn speaks with David Peace, who has written three books set in the post-war period of occupation in Japan. He started with Tokyo Year Zero, then Occupied City and he rounds his trilogy off with Tokyo Redux - a gritty look at what may have happened to President Shimoyama through the eyes of three investigators over a 40 year period.

Further episodes of Nine To Noon

Further podcasts by RNZ

Website of RNZ