Anthrax scare hits Japan, but no
bacteria or toxic substances found
By David Allen, Okinawa
bureau chief
NAHA — Japan is in the midst of an anthrax scare.
In the last two weeks police have responded to more than 400 reports of suspicious
white powder found in the mail and in the open.
So far, no bacteria or toxic substances have been found, the National Police Agency
reported. About 50 of the reports turned out to be hoaxes involving talcum powder, starch
and other substances.
The scares reflected fears around the globe following the deaths of two postal workers
in Washington who apparently inhaled anthrax spores while processing mail for the U.S.
Congress.
In the last few days, mail service was halted for a time in Finland and Denmark after a
white powder was reported leaking from letters and two embassies were evacuated in
Malaysia.
Workers at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur were taking antibiotics as a precaution
after a powdery substance was discovered in a letter.
More than 1,000 false anthrax alarms were reported in France during the past week. In
one case the guards at President Jacques Chirac’s home in the Elysee Palace checked
into a hospital for tests after a suspicious package was received.
In Sri Lanka, suspicious envelopes containing an unknown powder were received at the
U.S. and French embassies and Australian, Indian and U.N. diplomatic offices.
So far, anthrax was detected in letters in only three locations outside the United
States — the Bahamas, Kenya and Argentina.
On Okinawa, the library at the University of the Ryukyus Nishihara campus was evacuated
Tuesday after a librarian found white powder in a magazine recently sent from New York.
Such powder is often used by newspapers in the United States to make it easier to
insert Sunday magazines and TV listings.
Police in Tokyo have reported more than 120 cases, including an envelope containing
starch powder sent to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s residence.
The Metropolitan Police Department dispatched investigators with its special
anti-terrorist unit 70 times.
Although the bulk of the hoaxes in Japan involved powder found in letters, small piles
of a suspicious substance were found by an airline employee near two departure gates at
the New Tokyo International Airport at Narita on Tuesday.
The area was temporarily closed while the powder was removed. No flights were canceled.
White powder also was found on the floor of two bullet trains on the Osaka-Tokyo run.
Two newspapers in Tokyo also reported receiving envelopes containing a white powder.
In a related matter, a Tokyo newspaper reported Wednesday that Japan will propose that
the Group of Eight nations develop a system to assist each other in obtaining antibiotics
and vaccines to combat anthrax and other biological threats.
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