See that landing one!
(I happened to go to the Haneda Airport by train and monorail last Sunday at dusk. Accordingly, I took some pictures of the old Tokyo [Haneda] International Airport...)SECTION I: In 1985 around Tokyo 520 Citizens Victimized
Indeed, 25 years ago, I was living near one of the hottest cities in the summer of Japan which is situated in the middle of the Kanto Plain that holds Tokyo City on its southern end.
One day, I looked up at the sky, since there flying was a gray, big jet plane, 27,000 feet high just over the apartment house I lived in. I had never realized there was an air route above the humble apartment house I lived in. So, the big jet plane was very impressive, silently flying.
Then, at night, they reported on TV that a jet plane was missing since it had departed from the Haneda Airport at dusk, with 509 passengers on board...
On March 8, 1985, a car bomb planted in Beirut by CIA mercenaries attempts to kill Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah and kills more than 80 people, injuring 200.
On March 17, 1985, Expo '85, a World's Fair, is held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, until September 16.
On May 25, 1985, Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people.
On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747, blows up 31,000 feet (9,500 m) above the Atlantic Ocean, south of Ireland, killing all 329 aboard.
On July 19, 1985, U.S. Vice President George H.W. Bush announces that New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe will become the first schoolteacher to ride aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.
On August 2, 1985, Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashes near Dallas, Texas, killing 137 people.
On September 6, 1985, Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a Douglas DC-9, crashes just after takeoff from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, killing 31.
On November 13, 1985, Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts, killing an estimated 23,000 people, including 21,000 killed by lahars [volcanic mud flow] in the town of Armero, Colombia.
On November 23, 1985, Egypt Air Flight 648 is hijacked by the Abu Nidal group and flown to Malta, where Egyptian commandos storm the plane; 60 are killed by gunfire and explosions.
On December 12, 1985, Arrow Air Flight 1285, a Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing 256, 248 of whom were U.S. servicemen returning to Fort Campbell, Kentucky from overseeing a peacekeeping force in Sinai.
On December 27, 1985, Rome and Vienna airport attacks: Abu Nidal terrorists open fire in the airports of Rome and Vienna, leaving 18 dead and 120 injured.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985 )
Yet, the year 1985 for most of the Japanese people is still remembered for the greatest single airplane accident in the human history, "Japan Airlines Flight 123," though since 1985 no one was killed in passenger-plane accidents in Japan.
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Japan Airlines Flight 123 was a Japan Airlines domestic flight from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) to Osaka International Airport (Itami) on August 12, 1985. The Boeing 747-SR46 that made this route, registered JA8119, suffered mechanical failures 12 minutes into the flight and 32 minutes later crashed into two ridges of Mount Takamagahara in Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, 100 kilometers from Tokyo, on Monday 12 August 1985. The crash site was on Osutaka Ridge (******, Osutaka-no-One?), near Mount Osutaka. All 15 crew members and 505 out of 509 passengers died, resulting in a total of 520 deaths and 4 survivors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Airlines_Flight_123
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Truly, when looking back now, the world of 1985 looked very unusual, though people were living like in any normal year in Japan and the U.S. under the Cold War and the Japanese economic expansion in the world.
But, if looked back to, this year 2010 will look very unusual with so many victims due to earthquakes (including the one in Haiti), floods (in China and Pakistan), heat waves, and forest fires (in Russia), though people are living like any normal year in Japan and the U.S. despite the actual regime changes in 2009 in both the countries.
SECTION II: In 1985 around Tokyo I was Not Crashed
Around 1985, you had primitive personal computers but no cellular phones, though Intel processor chips were used in the so-called micro-computer/controller systems.
It was an era of the shift from large-size mainframe computers to middle-sized mini-computers/office-computers. In terms of architecture, it is an era of the paradigm shift from central processing of data and commands in a single, large computer to a distributed processing system linking several mini-computers.
Fujitsu has almost caught up with U.S. IBM in development of mainframes. But, in the mini-computer market, U.S. DEC had a dominant share in Japan. Other Japanese electronic manufacturers, such as Hitachi, NEC, Toshiba, Oki, Matsushita, etc., have been also providing their brands or allied brands of computer systems in various sizes.
Around 1985, Japanese economy expanded so much as symbolized by these manufacturers, including IBM Japan. Expo '85, a World's Fair, held in Tsukuba, Japan, was a place to introduce the advanced material technology, semiconductor technology, electronics, mechatronics, robotics, bio-technology, etc. of Japan, since Japan really caught up with America in terms of these advanced technology. Even Japanese-OS PCs showed equal performance to American PCs running Microsoft BASIC.
While the Soviet war in Afghanistan entered the sixth year and the Iran–Iraq War entered the fifth year, Japan was concentrating in technological development and economic expansion to the global market.
So, Japanese office workers of leading companies were busy flying between Tokyo and Osaka, since Osaka is the economic center of western Japan. So, on August 12, 1985, at dusk, 509 passengers were about to fly from Tokyo (Haneda) to Osaka on board the Boeing 747-SR46.
If you worked in a certain department or a unit of a certain company, you might have to make a business trip with some other colleagues, taking the same flight.
In this way, many office workers of first-rate companies in Tokyo and Osaka were killed in the 1985 accident of Japan Airlines Flight 123, while the Japanese people were enjoying life getting so rich and confidence getting so strong in the society further industrialized.
What's more, the death of the famous singer, Kyu Sakamoto, in the accident was a great shock to ordinary people, as he had achieved the American hit-chart No.1 with the "Sukiyaki" song in early 1960's. Truly a boom of youth ended for many Japanese with this tragedy.
(However, among miracle survivors, there was a girl from a city famous for a great Shinto shrine, suggesting something so divine to some Japanese.)
In this way, I was not included in the victims of ultimate sacrifice for the era, though I might have been at Haneda at dusk of August 12, 1985.
The next shock the Japanese people experienced in grave alarm was historically slated to come in 1995.
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Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.