Inejiro Asanuma was a Japanese politician and leader of the Japan Socialist Party. On October 12, 1960, Asanuma was assassinated by 17-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi, a nationalist, during a televised political debate for the coming elections for the House of Representatives. While Asanuma spoke from the lectern at Tokyo's Hibiya Hall, Yamaguchi rushed onstage and ran his yoroi-dōshi (a traditional samurai sword) through Asanuma's ribs on the left side, killing him.
Yamaguchi was captured at the scene of the crime, and a few weeks afterwards committed suicide by hanging while in police custody.