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95-545: Fu-Go ( ふ号[兵器] , fugō [heiki] , lit. "Code 'Fu' [Weapon]") was an incendiary balloon weapon ( 風船爆弾 , fūsen bakudan , lit. "balloon bomb") deployed by Japan against the United States during World War II . It consisted of a hydrogen -filled paper balloon 33 feet (10 m) in diameter, with a payload of four 11-pound (5.0 kg) incendiary devices and one 33-pound (15 kg) high-explosive anti-personnel bomb . The uncontrolled balloons were carried over

190-766: A hydrogen -filled balloon 13 feet (4.0 m) in diameter with a time fuse, capable of delivering bombs up to 70 miles (110 km). The project was not completed and stopped by 1935. After the Doolittle Raid in April 1942, in which American planes bombed the Japanese mainland, the Imperial General Headquarters directed Noborito to develop a retaliatory bombing capability against the U.S. In mid-1942, Noborito investigated several proposals, including long-range bombers that could make one-way sorties from Japan to cities on

285-585: A 500 million yen subsidy from the Ministry of Education. As the project to build a new arena progressed, the overall picture of a Kokugikan which made full use of modern technology was solidified. The construction faced heavy challenges in terms of cost and construction period as the Sumo Association requested that the construction be shortened by half a year, in place of the two years initially planned, and completed by January 1985. On September 20, 1982, plans for

380-414: A Japanese balloon recovered by the crew of an U.S. submarine. In subsequent weeks, its protagonists fought monster vines which sprang from seeds the balloon was carrying, created by an evil Japanese horticulturalist. A few weeks later, the comic strip Smilin' Jack by Zack Mosley depicted a plane crashing into a Japanese balloon, which exploded and started a fire upon falling to the ground. In both cases,

475-468: A Major Inouye became the source of nearly all information on the project's objectives for U.S. investigators. A five-volume report, prepared by a team led by Karl T. Compton of the Office of Scientific Research and Development and Edward L. Moreland of MIT , was later submitted to President Harry S. Truman . The remains of balloons have continued to be discovered after the war. At least eight were found in

570-585: A balloon carrier. To determine the correct fuse settings, the Austrians utilized smaller pilot balloons. At least one bomb landed in the city. However, due to changes in wind direction after launch, most of the balloons missed their target. Some even drifted back over Austrian lines and the launching ship, Vulcano . During World War II , the British Operation Outward launched some 99,142 balloons at Germany, 53,543 of which were carrying incendiaries,

665-525: A banquet hall for chankonabe tasting. Emblematic venues also includes the Annaijo Entrance ( lit. Information desk, also called Chaya-dori : Tea House Street), a flower-theme decorated corridor for souvenirs buying. Now under the control of the Japan Sumo Association, the cha-ya were originally independent named teahouses that sold tickets and refreshments to their customers. Following

760-549: A concert at the venue as part of his world tour " Freshen Up " on November 5, 2018. In May 2021 the stadium was used as a vaccination center for the COVID-19 vaccine , with some retired sumo wrestlers among those getting vaccinated. The arena is served by the Ryōgoku Station with platforms to the south and east of the arena. The JR East Chūō-Sōbu Line platforms to the south are served by local trains while rapid trains bypass

855-566: A crater later located) and near Kalispell, Montana , on December 11, followed by finds near Marshall and Holy Cross, Alaska , and Estacada, Oregon , later in the month. Authorities were placed on heightened alert, and forest rangers were ordered to report landings and recoveries. The balloons continued to be discovered across North America, with sightings and partial or full recoveries in Alaska , Arizona , California , Colorado , Hawaii , Idaho , Iowa , Kansas , Michigan (where an incendiary bomb

950-537: A dirigible to bomb British ships blockading Copenhagen. In 1846 a British board rejected as impractical a bombing design by Samuel Alfred Warner . Attempts by Henry Tracey Coxwell to interest the British government a few years later were rejected as well. In 1847, John Wise proposed the use of balloon bombs in the Mexican–American War . The first aggressive use of balloons in warfare occurred in 1849 during

1045-612: A durable paper derived from the paper mulberry ( kōzo ) bush, which were glued together with konnyaku (Japanese potato) paste. The Army mobilized thousands of teenage girls at high schools across the country to laminate and glue the sheets together, with final assembly and inflation tests at large indoor arenas including the Nichigeki Music Hall and Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo hall in Tokyo. The original proposal called for night launches from submarines located 600 miles (970 km) off of

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1140-433: A fixed-volume balloon posed technical challenges. During the day, heat from the sun increased pressure, risking the balloon rising above the air currents or bursting. A relief valve was added to allow gas to escape when the envelope's internal pressure rose above a set level. At night, cool temperatures risked the balloon falling below the currents, an issue that worsened as gas was released. To resolve this, engineers developed

1235-487: A lifting capacity of 300 pounds (140 kg) at operating altitude. The bomb payload most commonly carried was: A balloon launch organization of three battalions was formed. The first battalion included headquarters and three squadrons, totaling 1,500 men, at nine launch stations at Otsu in Ibaraki Prefecture . The second battalion of 700 men in three squadrons operated six launch stations at Ichinomiya, Chiba , and

1330-447: A panicked American public, further claiming casualties in the hundreds or thousands. One breach occurred in late February, when Representative Arthur L. Miller mentioned the balloons in a weekly column he sent to all 91 newspapers in his Nebraska district, which stated in part: "As a final act of desperation, it is believed that the Japs may release fire balloons aimed at our great forests in

1425-703: A regular venue for NJPW's events such as the G1 Climax . In 1998, Antonio Inoki 's Universal Fighting-Arts Organization held its first card at the arena. As All Japan began to use the Nippon Budokan as its main venue, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan became established as a venue for rival promotion NJPW. In 2009, DDT Pro-Wrestling held its first event in the arena . World Wonder Ring Stardom has held multiple events in Ryōgoku beginning in 2013. WWE also held numerous events in

1520-495: A sophisticated ballast system with 32 sandbags mounted around a cast aluminum wheel, with each sandbag connected to gunpowder blowout plugs. The plugs were connected to three redundant aneroid barometers calibrated for an altitude between 25,000 and 27,000 feet (7,600 and 8,200 m), below which one sandbag was released; the next plug was armed two minutes after the previous plug was blown. A separate altimeter set between 13,000 and 20,000 feet (4,000 and 6,100 m) controlled

1615-410: A system of inheritance, today's 20 businesses can be dated back to the nineteenth century, the oldest teahouse dating back to 1818. Now the teahouses also offer gifts packages. Their services usually go to regular customers who have agreements in place. Attendants (called dekata ) dressed in attire that resembles a yobidashi , guide patrons to their seats and supply them with refreshments in exchange of

1710-553: A tip. The Ryōgoku Kokugikan also has its own yakitori skewers factory in the basement of the building. For its first tournament, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan was visited by Emperor Shōwa . It was the first time Tenran-sumo was performed on the first day of the first tournament of the year. The January 1985 tournament also marked a milestone in Sumo as yokozuna Chiyonofuji achieved a zenshō yusho while yokozuna Kitanoumi (who had been yokozuna for 10 years) announced his retirement on

1805-503: A very rare sandangamae ceremony. The planned construction site for the new Kokugikan is a place prone to urban floods, therefore the introduction of a rainwater utilization system for the Kokugikan was asked by the Sumida municipality. The roof area is 8,360 m . Rainwater is stored in an underground 1,000 m rainwater tank, and 70% of miscellaneous water used at the Kokugikan

1900-403: Is covered by this rainwater. In the event of an earthquake, this water can be used as emergency domestic water. When a heavy snowfall falls, this rainwater can be ejected from the headdress on the roof to melt the snow. The ring is illuminated by 124 lights for TV broadcasts, and the angles of each are adjusted so as not to interfere with the wrestlers' mental unity and to prevent halation caused by

1995-449: Is no question that your refusal to publish or broadcast information about these balloons has baffled the Japanese, annoyed and hindered them, and has been an important contribution to security." The Imperial Army only ever learned of the balloon at Kalispell from an article in the Chinese newspaper Ta Kung Pao on December 18, 1944. The Kalispell find was originally reported on December 14 by

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2090-611: The Canadian War Museum . Incendiary balloon An incendiary balloon (or balloon bomb ) is a balloon inflated with a lighter-than-air gas such as hot air, hydrogen, or helium, that has a bomb, incendiary device, or Molotov cocktail attached. The balloon is carried by the prevailing winds to the target area, where it falls or releases its payload. In 1792, Joseph-Michel Montgolfier suggested using balloons for bombing British forces in Toulon. In 1807, Denmark tried to build

2185-496: The First Italian War of Independence . Austrian imperial forces, who were besieging Venice, attempted to deploy approximately 200 paper hot air balloons . Each balloon was equipped with a 24-to-30-pound (11 to 14 kg) bomb, designed to be dropped over the besieged city via a time fuse . The majority of the balloons were launched from land, but some were also dispatched from the side-wheel steamer SMS Vulcano , which served as

2280-516: The Manhattan Project 's production facility at the state's Hanford Engineer Works . Backup devices restored power to the site, but it took three days for its plutonium -producing nuclear reactors to be restored to full capacity; the plutonium was later used in Fat Man , the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki . On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed near Bly, Oregon , when they discovered one of

2375-689: The Mediterranean Sea , propels the balloons inland from Gaza into Israel. By July 2018, incendiary kites and balloons had started 678 fires in Israel, burning 910 hectares (2,260 acres) of woodland, and 610 hectares (1,500 acres) of agricultural lands. Some balloons landed in residential areas of the Eshkol Regional Council and the Sdot Negev Regional Council . One balloon cluster reached Beersheba, some 40 kilometers (25 mi) from

2470-545: The Nihon University , to create a large auditorium that could hold unified ceremonies such as entrance ceremonies and graduation ceremonies throughout the university. The Memorial Hall was therefore renamed Nihon University Auditorium ( 日大講堂 , Nihon Kōdō ) . During the Zenkyōtō the auditorium was used as a conference room for the protest rally. Due to aging equipment, notably failing to meet fire protection regulations,

2565-551: The U.S. Forest Service as a proxy agency, unifying fire suppression communications between federal and state agencies and modernizing the service through an influx of military personnel, equipment, and tactics. In the WDC's "Lightning Project", health and agricultural officers, veterinarians, and 4-H clubs were instructed to report any new diseases of crops or livestock caused by potential biological warfare . Stocks of decontamination chemicals, ultimately unused, were shipped to key points in

2660-613: The Western News , a weekly published in Libby, Montana ; the story later appeared in articles in the January 1, 1945, editions of Time and Newsweek magazines, as well as on the front page of the January 2 edition of The Oregonian of Portland, Oregon , before the Office of Censorship sent the memo. Starting in mid-February 1945, Japanese propaganda broadcasts falsely announced numerous fires and

2755-525: The public broadcast company NHK hold in the Kokugikan its own Sumo event, called the NHK Welfare Sumo Tournament ( NHK福祉大相撲 , Enu Eichi Kei Fukushi Ōzumō ) . Taking place each February, this charity event has been held since 1966. It takes the form of a festival where traditional jungyo activities are performed (sumo wrestlers songs, yokozuna's tsuna exhibition, makuuchi bouts). The profits are donated to social care institutions across

2850-622: The "Sunset Project", initiated in early April and fully operational by June, the Fourth Air Force attempted to detect balloons with search radars at ground-controlled interception sites in coastal Washington, but the project detected nothing and was cancelled in early August. Few American officials believed at first that the balloons could have come directly from Japan. Early U.S. theories speculated that they were launched from German prisoner of war camps or from Japanese-American internment centers . After bombs of Japanese origin were found, it

2945-460: The 1940s, three in the 1950s, two in the 1960s, and one in the 1970s. A carriage with a live bomb was found near Lumby, British Columbia , in 2014 and detonated by a Royal Canadian Navy ordnance disposal team. Remains of another balloon were found near McBride, British Columbia , in 2019. Many war museums in the U.S. and Canada hold Fu-Go fragments, including the National Air and Space Museum and

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3040-749: The Army consulted Hidetoshi Arakawa of the Central Meteorological Observatory , who used Oishi's data to extrapolate the air currents across the Pacific Ocean and estimate that a balloon released in winter and that maintained an altitude of 30,000 to 35,000 feet (9,100 to 10,700 m) could reach the North American continent in 30 to 100 hours. Arakawa further found that the strongest winds blew from November to March at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). Changing pressure levels in

3135-521: The B-Type (in contrast to the Army's A-Type). The silk material was an effort to create a flexible envelope that could withstand pressure changes. The design was tested in August 1944, but the balloons burst immediately after reaching altitude, determined to be the result of faulty rubberized seams. The Navy program was subsequently consolidated under Army control, due in part to the declining availability of rubber as

3230-563: The Butokuden lot in Nagoya. In February 1944, the Kokugikan was requisitioned by the military and turned into a balloon bomb factory. The Summer tournament was therefore held at the Korakuen Stadium (sekitori) and Meiji Jingu Stadium (Makushita and below). In March 1945, an air raid over Tokyo damaged the Ryōgoku Kokugikan and the surrounding sumo stables. After the war , the Kokugikan

3325-734: The Gaza strip. In response to these incendiary attacks, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing in July 2018, but later reopened it after a few months of relative calm. By the end of 2018, over 7,000 acres of land had been burned as a result of incendiary balloon attack, causing millions of shekels in damages, according to Israeli officials. The fires destroyed forests and agricultural lands, and killed livestock. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attempted to combat these incendiary devices by deploying small, remote-controlled drones with knives on their wings to cut

3420-529: The Japan Sumo Association sought to purchase a new location to build a new arena. Considering a move to the location of a defunct freight rail yard next to Ryōgoku Station , the Japan Sumo Association began to hold consultations with the Japanese National Railways (JNR) in June 1977. Faced with large deficits at the time, JNR was receptive to the idea of selling the property, aided by its belief that if

3515-630: The National Junior High School Sumo Tournament. The arena also regularly hold the All Japan Sumo Championships ( Japan Sumo Federation main event) and Hakuhō Cup (a children's sumo event). Also, prior to each Tokyo tournaments, willing wrestlers will meet in joint training in the training room of the Sumo School for four to six days. These trainings are usually in presence of the press and oyakata . Finally,

3610-495: The Office of Censorship deemed it unnecessary to censor the Sunday comics . By mid-April 1945, Japan lacked the resources to continue manufacturing balloons, with both paper and hydrogen in short supply. Furthermore, the Army had little evidence that the balloons were reaching North America, let alone causing damage. The campaign was halted, with no intention to revive it when the jet stream regained strength in fall 1945. The last balloon

3705-510: The Pacific Ocean from Japan to North America by fast, high-altitude air currents, today known as the jet stream , and used a sophisticated sandbag ballast system to maintain their altitude. The bombs were intended to ignite large-scale forest fires and spread panic. Between November 1944 and April 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army launched about 9,300 balloons from sites on coastal Honshu , of which about 300 were found or observed in

3800-735: The Ryōgoku between 2010 and 2015, the latest being WWE's The Beast in the East . Other promotions to have held an event at the venue include Super World of Sports , UWF International , Fighting Network Rings , All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , Wrestle and Romance , JWP Joshi Puroresu , Michinoku Pro Wrestling , Tokyo Pro Wrestling , Battlarts , Pro Wrestling Zero1 , World Japan , Hustle , Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling , Inoki Genome Federation , Dragongate , Pro Wrestling Noah , Wrestle-1 , Big Japan Pro Wrestling , Tenryu Project , Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling , Gleat , and Dream Star Fighting Marigold . The Kokugikan also host Boxing competitions including

3895-502: The Sumo Association. The cost of purchasing the land in Ryōgoku was 9.4 billion yen, while the Sumo Association was able to sell its Kuramae property to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for 14.3 billion yen. A total of 15 billion yen was procured for the construction of the new arena, comprising the 4.9 billion yen profit from the real estate transactions, 9.6 billion yen the Sumo Association had set aside in reserves, and

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3990-586: The U.S. West Coast, and small bomb-laden seaplanes which could be launched from submarines. On September 9, 1942, the latter was tested in the Lookout Air Raid , in which a Yokosuka E14Y seaplane was launched from a submarine off the Oregon coast. Warrant Officer Nobuo Fujita dropped two large incendiary bombs in Siskiyou National Forest in the hopes of starting a forest fire and safely returned to

4085-400: The U.S. coast, a distance the balloons could cover in 10 hours. A calibrated timer would release a 11-pound (5.0 kg) incendiary bomb at the end of the flight. Two submarines ( I-34 and I-35 ) were prepared and two hundred balloons were produced by August 1943, but attack missions were postponed due to the need for submarines as weapons and food transports. Engineers next investigated

4180-484: The U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The bombs were ineffective as fire starters due to damp seasonal conditions, with no forest fires being attributed to the offensive. A U.S. media censorship campaign prevented the Imperial Army from learning of the offensive's results. On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed by one of the bombs near Bly, Oregon , becoming the war's only fatalities in the contiguous U.S. The Fu-Go balloon bomb

4275-575: The arena. Since then, the Kokugikan has been used for roller skating , professional boxing and professional wrestling . Japan's first public wrestling match was held at the Memorial Hall on September 30, 1951. It was also used as the venue for the All Japan Judo Championships in May 1951. In 1958, the former Kokugikan (Ryōgoku, Sumida Ward) was purchased from the Japan Sumo Association by

4370-489: The balloon bombs in Fremont National Forest , becoming the only fatalities from Axis action in the continental U.S. during the war. Reverend Archie Mitchell and his pregnant wife Elsie (age 26) drove up Gearhart Mountain that day with five of their Sunday school students for a picnic. While Archie was parking the car, Elsie and the children discovered a balloon and carriage, loaded with an anti-personnel bomb, on

4465-414: The balloon. This entire mechanism was set into motion 52 minutes post-launch, allowing the balloon to attain its initial altitude. The final sandbag stations were equipped with incendiary bombs, which were dispensed by the same mechanism. Following the final release, the balloon triggered a self-destruction process and dropped an additional bomb. The balloons were launched in the winter to take advantage of

4560-403: The balloons would survive the journey across the Pacific Ocean. Each launch pad consisted of anchor screws drilled into the ground in a circle the same diameter as the balloons. After anchoring an envelope, hoses were used to fill it with 8,100 cubic feet (230 m) of hydrogen while it was tied down with guide ropes and detached from the anchors. The carriage was attached with shroud lines, and

4655-469: The beginning of the 2018 Gaza border protests , Palestinian militants have been launching incendiary kites at Israel as a form of agro-terrorism . Since the beginning of May 2018, helium-filled incendiary balloons have been used alongside the kites. Gazan balloons are devised from helium-filled party balloons or condoms that are strung together, with flaming rags, other incendiary devices, or explosives strung below. The prevailing wind blowing in from

4750-463: The building is Japan's first dome-shaped steel framed building. Construction began in June 1906 and the arena was quickly nicknamed "big iron umbrella" ( 大鉄傘 , Daitetsusan ) because of the large roof resembling a huge umbrella. Although it was a Western-style building, the roof imitated the kondo (centerpiece) of Horyuji Temple . The opening ceremony was held on June 2, 1909. Originally set to be called Shobukan ( lit. Home of Martial Arts) by

4845-416: The building was dismantled in 1983. After the demolition, the complex building facility " Ryogoku City Core " and other offices, residences, and restaurants were built. In the courtyard, the location of the dohyō of the former Kokugikan is indicated by a circle on the ground. The second Ryōgoku Kokugikan opened as the aging Kuramae Kokugikan became less practical due to modernization problems. Therefore,

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4940-580: The country. Like the Kuramae Kokugikan, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan hosted a number of professional wrestling events as soon as its first year of service. In September 1985, the first wrestling card, promoted by All Japan Pro Wrestling , happened with the first Japanese appearance of the Road Warriors . In December of the same year, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) held its first card in the Ryogoku. It became

5035-413: The feasibility of balloon launches against the United States from the Japanese mainland, a distance of at least 6,000 miles (9,700 km). Engineers sought to make use of strong seasonal air currents discovered flowing from west to east at high altitude and speed over Japan, today known as the jet stream . The currents had been investigated by Japanese scientist Wasaburo Oishi in the 1920s. In late 1943,

5130-452: The founding committee chairman Itagaki Taisuke , the building took the name of Kokugikan ( lit. National Sports Hall) thanks to another member of the committee, writer Suiin Emi . The arena was thought to accommodate 13,000 people, including about 1,000 square seats. The inner diameter of the building was 62m, and the central height was 25m. In 1931, the Japan Sumo Association decided to replace

5225-411: The ground. A large explosion occurred; the four boys (Edward Engen, 13; Jay Gifford, 13; Dick Patzke, 14; and Sherman Shoemaker, 11) were killed instantly, while Elsie and Joan Patzke (13) died from their wounds shortly afterwards. An Army investigation concluded that the bomb had likely been kicked or dropped, and that it had lain undisturbed for about one month before the incident. The U.S. press blackout

5320-453: The guide lines of the kites. The method ultimately proved ineffective. Persistent incidents of airborne arson were observed in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. In August 2020, fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip were halted once more due to a resurgence of these arson attacks, leading to the closure of the Gaza Strip's sole power station. The most effective strategy against these balloons

5415-408: The guide ropes were untied. Each launch required a crew of 30 men and took between 30 minutes and one hour, depending on the presence of surface winds. The best time for launches was after a high-pressure front had passed, and wind conditions were best before the onshore breezes at sunrise. Suitable wind conditions were only expected for three to five days a week, for a total of about fifty days during

5510-504: The hosting of the boxing competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics . In 2025, it will also host Capcom Cup 11, a Street Fighter 6 championship event for Capcom Pro Tour 2024. In 1992, The Kokugikan hosted the very first official Street Fighter II tournament. On April 4, 2014, the K-pop boy group Got7 held their first Japanese showcase in the venue. In 2017 it hosted Ferrari 's 70th anniversary celebrations. Paul McCartney performed

5605-402: The later release of the bombs. A one-hour activating fuse for the altimeters was ignited at launch, allowing the balloon time to ascend above these two thresholds. Tests of the design in August 1944 indicated success, with several balloons releasing radiosonde signals for up to 80 hours (the maximum time allowed by the batteries). A self-destruct system was added; a three-minute fuse triggered by

5700-502: The latter being correct. Aerial reconnaissance of Shiogama in May 1945 showed what was mistakenly interpreted as inflated balloons and a possible launch area at the beach. On January 4, 1945, the U.S. Office of Censorship sent a confidential memo to newspaper editors and radio broadcasters asking that they give no publicity to balloon incidents; this proved highly effective, with the agency sending another memo three months later stating that cooperation had been "excellent" and that "there

5795-523: The main entrance, two Inari shrines (called Toyokuni Inari and Shusse Inari) are dedicated to wrestlers safety and success. Originally the twin-shrines were built in the backyard of the former Ryōgoku Kokugikan and were relocated in 1963 in the Kuramae Kokugikan before finally moving to their current location. The arena also includes a number of dedicated venues such as the Sumo Museum , restaurants or

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5890-422: The more favorable winter jet stream. However this limited their damage potential as wildfires were less likely to catch in winter. The Fu-Go balloons inflicted relatively little damage, except for one fatal incident in which a woman and five children were killed near Bly, Oregon after they approached a balloon that had landed at the subsequently named Mitchell Recreation Area . The deaths of six civilians were

5985-500: The new Kokugikan was built next to the station, the number of passengers served would increase. As the land in Kuramae was selected as a candidate site for the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Tokyo, the association acquired the means to purchase the land located in Ryōgoku. The move to Ryōgoku was decided in 1980, and in March 1982, a land purchase contract was concluded between JNR and

6080-432: The new Kokugikan were announced during a press conference. The new arena would be made of three floors above ground and two underground. The total floor area is 35,700 m and the seating capacity is 11,098. The ring and the square seats on the first floor are movable and can be stored for multi-purpose use, so that they can be used effectively outside the 45 days of the annual sumo competition. A ground breaking ceremony

6175-612: The northwest". In response, intelligence officers at the Seventh Service Command in Omaha contacted the editors at all 91 papers, requesting censorship; this was largely successful, with only two papers printing the column. In late March, the United Press (UP) wrote a detailed article on the balloons intended for its national distributors; the Army officer who reported the breach commented that it included "a lot of mechanical detail on

6270-566: The offensive ended in April 1945. In response to the threat of wildfires in the Pacific Northwest during the summer months, the Army's Western Defense Command (WDC), Fourth Air Force , and Ninth Service Command organized the "Firefly Project" with Stinson L-5 Sentinel and Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft and 2,700 troops, including 200 paratroopers from the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion , who were deployed in 36 firefighting missions between May and October 1945. The Army used

6365-443: The old Irimoya-zukuri style roof of the ring with a Shinmei-zukuri style roof. The building of the Ryōgoku Kokugikan consecrated the evolution of Sumo from a Shinto ritual to a national sport. The first Kokugikan suffered extensive damage during its years of service. In November 1917, during the series of big fires in Tokyo. The arena burned down due to the accidental fire and its large roof collapsed. The Ryōgoku Kokugikan

6460-576: The only fatalities caused by fire balloons on American soil during World War II. Following World War II, the United States developed the E77 balloon bomb based on the Fu-Go balloon. This balloon was intended to disperse an anti-crop agent, but it was not used operationally. The 1954–1955 WS-124A Flying Cloud program tested high-altitude balloons for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction , but they were found infeasible because of their inaccuracy. Since

6555-528: The other 45,599 carrying trailing wires to damage high voltage lines. During the period of 1944-1945, in the midst of World War II, Japan initiated the launch of approximately 9,300 Fu-Go balloon bombs targeted at North America. These balloons, with a diameter of 10 meters (33 feet), were filled with hydrogen and typically transported one bomb weighing 15 kilograms (33 lbs) or alternatively, one 12-kilogram (26 lbs) bomb along with four additional bombs each weighing 5 kilograms (11 lbs). The Fu-Go balloons utilized

6650-523: The potential of using unmanned balloons at a low cost to ignite large-scale forest fires. According to U.S. interviews with Japanese officials after the war, the balloon bomb campaign was undertaken "almost exclusively for home propaganda purposes", and the Army had little expectation of its effectiveness. By March 1943, Kusaba's team developed a 20-foot (6.1 m) design capable of floating at 25,000 feet (7,600 m) for up to 30 hours. The balloons were constructed from four to five thin layers of washi ,

6745-474: The power of the winter jet stream, which travels at a speed of 220 miles per hour (350 km/h), to traverse a distance of 5,000 miles (8,000 km) across the Pacific Ocean in roughly three days. To maintain a specific altitude, the balloons were equipped with a barometric sensor that would jettison ballast sandbags whenever the balloon descended below 30,000 feet (9,100 m). If the sensor detected an altitude exceeding 38,000 feet (12,000 m), hydrogen would be released from

6840-571: The release of the last bomb would detonate a block of picric acid and destroy the carriage, followed by an 82-minute fuse that would ignite the hydrogen and destroy the envelope. In late 1942, the Imperial General Headquarters had directed the Navy to begin its own balloon bomb program in parallel with the Army project. Lieutenant Commander Kiyoshi Tanaka headed a group which developed a 30-foot (9.1 m) rubberized silk balloon, designated

6935-543: The submarine. Response crews spotted the plane and contained the small blazes. The program was cancelled by the Imperial Navy . Also in September 1942, Major General Sueki Kusaba, who had served under Tada in the original balloon bomb program in the 1930s, was assigned to the laboratory and revived the Fu-Go project with a focus on longer flights. The Oregon air raid, while not achieving its strategic objective, had demonstrated

7030-507: The thing, in addition to being a hell of a scare story". Censors contacted the UP, which replied that the article had not yet been teletyped ; all five copies were retrieved and destroyed. Investigators determined the information originated from a briefing to Colorado state legislators, which had been leaked in an open session. In late April, censors investigated the nationally-syndicated comic strip Tim Tyler's Luck by Lyman Young , which depicted

7125-408: The third battalion of 600 men in two squadrons operated six launch stations at Nakoso, Fukushima . The Otsu site featured its own hydrogen plant, while the second and third battalions used hydrogen gas transported from factories around Tokyo. The combined launching capacity of the sites was about 200 balloons per day, with 15,000 launches planned through March. The Army estimated that only 10 percent of

7220-445: The third day of the tournament after three consecutives defeats. Since its completion, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan is the place where every Tokyo tournaments are held in January, May and September. The arena also holds other sumo related events such as retirement ceremonies, known as danpatsu-shiki , where sekitori -ranked wrestlers ritually cut their topknot in a long and solemn ceremony. Only sekitori with at least 30 tournaments in

7315-515: The top division can qualify for a ceremony at the Kokugikan, other wrestlers usually perform the ceremony at hotels or in their stable . Kanreki dohyō-iri ceremonies, where former yokozuna celebrate their sixtieth birthday during a particular yokozuna dohyō-iri ceremony, are also usually held at the Kokugikan. The Kokugikan also holds sumo events for boys such as the Goodwill Sumo Tournament, and high-school championships, such as

7410-497: The very high altitude at which they traveled. In all, only about 20 balloons were shot down by U.S. and Canadian pilots. Attempts to track the radiosonde balloons produced 95 suspected signals, but they were of little use due to the very low proportion of balloons with transmitters, and observed fading of signals as they approached. Experiments on recovered balloons in February 1945 to determine their radar reflectivity were unsuccessful. In

7505-460: The victims' families as a symbol of peace and healing, and six cherry trees were planted at the site on the incident's 50th anniversary in 1995. All Japanese records on the Fu-Go program were destroyed in compliance with a directive issued on August 15, 1945, the day Japan announced its surrender . Thus, a single interview with Lieutenant Colonel Terato Kunitake of the Army General Staff and

7600-486: The war continued. The B-Type balloons were later equipped with a version of the A-Type's ballast system and tested on November 2, 1944; one of these balloons, which was not loaded with bombs, became the first to be recovered by Americans after being spotted in the water off San Pedro, California , on November 4. The final A-Type design was 33 feet (10 m) in diameter, and had a gas volume of 19,000 cubic feet (540 m) and

7695-718: The weather. In March 1906, the 22nd Imperial Diet decided to build an indoor sumo facility within the precincts of the Ekōin temple in Ryōgoku . The task was given to two of the most predominant architects in Japan at the time, Tatsuno Kingo and Kasai Manji  [ ja ] (mostly known for the Bank of Japan, the Hamadera Park Station or the Tokyo Station). Inspired by western architecture,

7790-415: The western U.S. received disproportionately more precipitation in 1945 than in any other year in the decade, with some areas receiving 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm) of precipitation more than other years. The most damaging attack occurred on March 10, 1945, when a balloon descended near Toppenish, Washington , and collided with electric transmission lines , causing a short circuit which cut off power to

7885-769: The western states. Although biological warfare had been a concern for months, the WDC's plan was not formalized and fully implemented until July 1945. A sub-section of the project, "Arrow", provided for rapid air transportation of all balloon remains to the Technical Air Intelligence Center laboratory in Washington, D.C. , for biological analysis. A U.S. investigation after the war concluded there had not been plans for chemical or biological payloads. Army Air Forces and Navy fighter planes were scrambled on several occasions to intercept balloons, but they had little success due to inaccurate sighting reports, bad weather, and

7980-513: The winter period of maximum jet stream velocity. The first balloons were launched on November 3, 1944. Some balloons in each of the launches carried radiosonde equipment instead of bombs, and were tracked by direction finding stations to follow their progress. Two weeks after the discovery of the B-Type balloon off San Pedro, an A-Type balloon was found in the ocean off Kailua, Hawaii , on November 14. More were found near Thermopolis, Wyoming , on December 6 (with an explosion heard by witnesses, and

8075-632: The wrestlers' sweat. In addition, since Japanese people have dark hair, the lighting in the audience seats on the background of the ring is adjusted so that the colors appearing on the TV screen are not dark. The Ryōgoku Kokugikan houses the offices of the Japan Sumo Association and, at the rear of building, the "Sumo School" where new recruits must complete a six-month course on various topics such as calligraphy, sports science, sumo history and civics in addition to sumo's basic movements and techniques. Near

8170-479: Was occupied by the allies forces and the budo ban was enforced, preventing tournaments until November. As the arena was requisitioned by the allies, the Kokugikan undergone a new phase of restoration and was renamed Ryogoku Memorial Hall . The renovations were completed by September 1946 leaving the November 1945 tournament to a burnt-out Kokugikan. The November tournament of 1946 was the last tournament to occur in

8265-551: Was believed that the balloons were launched from coastal submarines. Statistical analysis of valve serial numbers suggested that tens of thousands of balloons had been produced. The mineral and diatom composition of sand from the sandbags was studied by the Military Geology Unit of the United States Geological Survey , which assessed its origin as Shiogama, Miyagi , or less likely, Ichinomiya, Chiba, only

8360-526: Was destroyed for the first time and needed to be built from scrap. The total amount of damage amounted to about 1.2 million yen and the tournaments had to be held at the Yasukuni Shrine until the arena was rebuilt in January 1920, notably using zinc to fortify the roof. Three years later, in September 1923, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan was destroyed in the Great Kantō earthquake and tournaments had to be held at

8455-611: Was followed by the advent of the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Soviet Union 's R-7 , in 1957. Only "one or two" small grass fires were attributed to the balloon bombs. As predicted by Imperial Army officials, the winter and spring launch dates had limited the chances of the incendiaries starting fires due to the high levels of precipitation in the Pacific Northwest; forests were generally snow-covered or too damp to catch fire easily. Furthermore, much of

8550-889: Was found at Farmington in the easternmost incident), Montana , Nebraska , Nevada , North Dakota , Oregon , South Dakota , Texas , Utah , Washington , and Wyoming ; in Canada in Alberta , British Columbia , Manitoba , Saskatchewan , and the Northwest and Yukon Territories ; in Mexico in Baja California Norte and Sonora ; and at sea. By August 1945, the U.S. Army had recorded 285 balloon incidents (28 by January, 54 in February, 114 in March, 42 in April, 16 in May, 17 in June, and 14 in July). Most U.S. defense plans were only fully implemented after

8645-561: Was found to be continuous surveillance and manual extinguishing of the fires. In February 2020, a new laser weapon system known as the Light Blade (or Lahav) was tested operationally along the Gaza border to combat kites and balloons. Ry%C5%8Dgoku Kokugikan The growing popularity of Sumo during the Meiji period led to the building of the original Kokugikan in Ryōgoku. Until then, Sumo bouts were performed in temples precincts and depended on

8740-534: Was held on April 27, 1983. Both yokozuna Kitanoumi and yokozuna Chiyonofuji performed a yokozuna dohyō-iri as part of the Shinto ceremony. On January 9, 1985, the inauguration ceremony and unveiling party were held with 2,300 people in attendance. Following a solemn ritual, both yokozuna performed a yokozuna dohyō-iri , ōzeki Wakashimazu and Asashio performed a Shinto sumo ritual (called shinji-zumō ( 神事相撲 ) ) and yokozuna Chiyonofuji and Kitanoumi performed

8835-567: Was launched on April 20. In total, about 9,300 were launched in the campaign (about 700 in November 1944, 1,200 in December, 2,000 in January 1945, 2,500 in February, 2,500 in March, and 400 in April), of which about 300 were found or observed in North America. The Fu-Go balloon bomb is considered to be the first weapon system in history with intercontinental range, a significant development in warfare which

8930-586: Was lifted on May 22 so the public could be warned of the balloon threat. A memorial, the Mitchell Monument , was built in 1950 at the site of the explosion, and the surrounding Mitchell Recreation Area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. A ponderosa pine near the site bears scars on its trunk from the bomb's shrapnel. In 1987, a group of Japanese women involved in Fu-Go production as schoolgirls delivered 1,000 paper cranes to

9025-495: Was the first weapon system with intercontinental range, predating the intercontinental ballistic missile . The balloon bomb concept was developed by the Imperial Japanese Army 's Ninth Technical Research Institute (also known as the Noborito Research Institute), tasked with creating special weapons. In 1933, Lieutenant General Reikichi Tada started a balloon bomb program at Noborito designated Fu-Go, which proposed

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