1. Leadership and leadership structure: Japanese Red Army (JRA)
Primary Leaders:
Fusako Shigenobu
Kunio Bando
Osamu Maruoka
My topic is the Japanese Red Army (JRA)’s leadership.
The JRA was a based on a hierarchical system with Shigenobu at the top. She had many generals

2. Fusako Shigenobu
Joined Red Army Faction as a student, after participating in student protests in the 60’s.
In 1971 she traveled to the Middle East as part of the Red Army Faction.
She would go on to be a co-founder the Lebanon branch, known as the Japanese Red Army.
She was also known as the Empress of Terror.
The Japanese Red Army was founded and lead by Fusako Shigenobu. Fusako Shigenobu was a well educated women from Japan.

3. Kunio Bando Bando first helped formed the United Red Army,
He later joined the JRA.
He in the one of the last remaining members alive, that has not been arrested.
It is rumored that he has been hiding out in the Philippines since 2000.
Kunio Bando who was an important member and still on Interpol’s most wanted list.

4. Kozo Okamoto
He was the lone survivor of the Israeli Lod airport attack in 1972.
He was later used as a prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestine.
He has been given asylum by the Lebanese government.
Today Japan is still trying to get him extradited.
After being arrested he was jailed in Israel. Okamoto was released in 1985 after 13 years in prison, as part of a prisoner exchange with Palestinian militant factions for captive Israeli soldiers. However due to torture claims he received while in Israel Okamoto he was given asylum in Lebanon.

5. Today:
Even from jail she continues to preach her political views. She has even gone so far as to say, “Once I’m out of jail I will rebuild the JRA back to its glory days while making it stronger than it was before.” ~Shigenobu
“If I am released I will continue the fight, but through peaceful means. The armed struggle was closely related to historical circumstances, and what is right in one time and place may not be right in another.” ~Shigenobu
Fusako Shigenobu is not just an uneducated zealot, she was well educated and has never wavered on her distrust of the Japanese government. Most importantly if she was to be let free it would and unsafe for Japan but also the global community.  Shigenobu was once known as the “most feared female terrorist in the world.” Personally I believe that she is best left behind bars because if she was given freedom who know just how much havoc she could cause.