Otsu Scandal

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The Ōtsu Scandal can be describe as a failed assassination attempt on Tsarevich Nicholas (later Emperor Nicholas II of Russia) by a Japanese police officer named Tsuda Sanzō. The event occurred on May 11, 1891 in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, while Nicholas was visiting Japan. He was wounded and permanently scarred in the attack.

Details of the Attack

The Otsu Scandal occurred on May 11, while Nicholas was riding through Ōtsu after a trip to Lake Biwa, when he was attacked by Tsuda, who swung at the tsarevich's face with a saber. Tsuda then attempted to flee, but a rickshaw driver in Nicholas's entourage chased him down and pulled him to the ground. He was subsequently arrested. Nicholas would be left with a 9 cm scar on the right side of his forehead, but fortunately, his wound was not life-threatening.

The next day, Emperor Meiji, ignoring protests of his senior statesman that he would be taken hostage, paid a visit to the recuperating tsarevich, while visiting the Russian armada in Kobe harbour.

Nicholas's Return to Russia and Repercussions of the Attack

Japan's military being no match for Russia's at the time, citizens throughout the nation feared a retaliatory attack for the failed assassination attempt. More than 10,000 telegrams were sent, wishing the tsarevich a speedy recovery. One town in Yamagata Prefecture even legally forbade the family name "Tsuda" and the given name "Sanzō"—the names of the would-be assassin. When Nicholas left Japan in spite of the emperor's apology, one woman slit her throat with a razor in front of the Kyoto Prefectural Office—an act of deepest remorse for her countryman's action.

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