TOKYO — 1982 · Major Tragedy

The Hotel New Japan Fire

ClosedSources: BLast updated: 14 October 2026

On the morning of 8 February 1982 fire broke out on the top two floors of the ten-storey Hotel New Japan in Tokyo's central Akasaka district. Thirty-three people were killed and 29 injured; many of the dead were foreign guests from Taiwan, South Korea and elsewhere. Investigators determined the fire began when a guest smoked in bed. The main controversy, however, centred on the hotel's management: the building had no sprinkler system, and officials said the disaster could have been prevented had proper precautions been taken. The owner and executives were arrested; the owner was convicted of failing to provide fire safety measures and causing deaths, and sentenced to three years in prison. The disaster became a turning point in tightening fire inspections of Japanese hotels.

Date: 1982
Place: Akasaka, Japan, Tokyo, JP
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Closed
Coordinates: 35.6760, 139.7390 ↗

Timeline of Events

8 February 1982Fire broke out on the ninth and tenth floors of the Hotel New Japan; 33 people died.
9 February 1982Officials said the fire started with a guest smoking in bed.