Japan hunts for sending death threats to hundreds of schools

• Bomb and murder threats faxed to schools across Japan.
• Threats were faxed from a Tokyo-registered number.
• Texts sought ransom payments between 300,000 and 3 million yen.

Japan police are looking for the person who received bomb and murder threats to numerous schools, forcing hurried closures.

This week, the threats were faxed to colleges and high schools from a Tokyo-registered number.

Police say they have not discovered any explosives in school facilities, and there have been no complaints of attacks on students or staff to date.

In Japan, which is renowned for having a low crime rate, bomb threats are uncommon.

On Monday, the first round of messages started to circulate around the nation’s colleges and universities.

According to officials, more than 170 schools in one prefecture, Saitama, have received bomb threats.

According to local media, one message stated that more than 330 devices had been put, and another stated, “I planted a large bomb.”

According to other sources, the texts sought ransom payments between 300,000 and 3 million yen (£1,870 and $2,320).

The same number threatened to use improvised weapons to kill students and instructors on Tuesday at high schools in several prefectures, including Osaka, Saitama, and Ibaraki near Tokyo.

As a precaution in response to the threats, several schools in Japan were closed; however, by Thursday, the majority had reopened.

In Japan, fax machines are still widely utilized.

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