On May 16, 2026, the University of Tokyo received a bomb threat, prompting the cancellation of a lecture and other activities.

The canceled lecture was scheduled as part of one of Japan’s largest university festivals, Gogatsusai, which combines student energy with academic research. Due to be delivered by political leader Sohei Kamiya, the lecture would have preceded a student politics club debate.

Shortly after 10 am on the day of the event, both the festival’s organizing committee and the student political group hosting the event received threatening emails. The messages warned that explosives had been “planted in various locations on the Hongo and Yayoi campuses” and would be detonated because “Representative Kamiya is coming.”

Campus staff contacted the police and made a joint decision to cancel the lecture and shut down the rest of the day’s festival activities. Following a thorough search, no explosives were found.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about threats aimed at intimidating the higher education community and disrupting classes and campus life. Such actions undermine academic freedom and university autonomy. State and university authorities should take reasonable steps to respond to and prevent such attacks, including by investigating and holding perpetrators accountable.

Sources:
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/news-and-opinion/university-of-tokyo-bomb-threat-sanseito-kamiya-2026/
https://alternativa.co.jp/noticias/japao/192877/universidade-de-toquio-cancela-evento-apos-ameaca-de-bomba-contra-lider-do-sanseito/
https://www.todaishimbun.org/99mftime_20260526