Hibiya incendiary incident

The Hibiya incendiary incident resulted in the death of 17 rioters, led to the collapse of the government of Katsura Tarō, and is considered the first event of the Era of Popular Violence.

A diverse assortment of Japanese activist groups called for a rally at Hibiya Park, in central Tokyo, to protest what was seen as the humiliating terms of the treaty, which was announced earlier that day.

The activists and protesters were largely ignorant of the actual war situation, with many viewing the terms of the treaty accepted by the Japanese government as excessively lenient towards Russia, which had been decisively defeated.

Protestors had attempted to set fire to the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church, which was heavily associated with Russia, but were prevented by people guarding the building.

The Hibiya Incendiary Incident marks the beginning of a period in Japanese history that historians call the Era of Popular Violence (民衆騒擾期, minshū sōjō ki).