Hiroko Nagata

Hiroko Nagata
Nagata in an undated photo
Born	February 8, 1945 Tokyo, Japan
Died	February 5, 2011(2011-02-05) (aged 65) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Leftist radical
Criminal charge	Murder
Criminal penalty	Death
Criminal status	Deceased

Hiroko Nagata (永田 洋子, Nagata Hiroko, February 8, 1945 – February 5, 2011), sometimes mistakenly referred to as Yōko Nagata, was a Japanese leftist radical who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Japan. Nagata was convicted of murdering, or participating in the murder of, fellow members of the United Red Army (URA) during a group purge in Gunma prefecture, Japan in February 1972.

During the purge, Nagata, acting as vice-chairman of the URA, directed the killing of 12 members of the group by beatings or by forced exposure to frigid winter air temperatures. A URA non-member who was present during the purge was also killed. Arrested on February 16, 1972, Nagata was tried and convicted for her participation in the killings, and was sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, Nagata died from brain cancer on 5 February 2011 at the Tokyo Detention House.

Nagata was born in Tokyo and, after graduation from Chofu Gakuen High School, entered Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy (defunct in 2008 and merged into Keio University) to receive training to be a pharmacist. During her time in college, Nagata became involved full-time in left-wing politics, eventually becoming vice-chairman of the United Red Army. Nagata would work herself into what was described as an "hysterical rage" when excited, usually over political issues. She was described as physically unattractive and was (by the standard of medicine of that time) infertile from Basedow syndrome. She was particularly harsh with other female members of her group.

Japan's leftist student movement in the 1960s pervaded Japan's universities, and, by late in the decade, had become balkanised, competitive, and violent. After a series of incidents in which leftist student groups attacked and injured or killed law enforcement officials as well as the general public, Japan's national police agency cracked down on the student groups, raiding their hideouts and arresting dozens in 1971 and 1972. Attempting to escape from the police, a core group of radicals from the URA, including Nagata, retreated to a compound in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture during the winter of 1972.