The Bomb Threats Bear His Name. He Didn't Make Them

A mysterious wave of bomb threats signed "Takahiro Karasawa" has been confounding authorities in a number of Asian countries, and as the New York Times reports, the mystery is an odd one. For starters, the real Takahiro Karasawa is a Japanese lawyer who says he has no hand in the faxed and emailed threats that first appeared in 2012. They've all been toothless: No bombs have ever been found at the specified locations. The threats initially appeared in Japan, but then spread to South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Karasawa suspects his name was used by someone angry over his representation of victims of online harassment years ago; the Korea JoongAng Daily describes him as "known for his adversarial relationship with the far-right Japanese online community 2channel." Authorities have made several arrests over the years, but the threats have persisted, causing evacuations and widespread panic. The latest surge has been in South Korea, with the Korea Herald reporting in August that 44 faxes and emails had been sent over a 24-month period, all signed Karasawa or with the names of other Japanese lawyers.

The Times flags one email from an account bearing the name Takahiro Karasawa that bore the menacing subject "Everyone at Ajou University will die." It claimed bombs had been placed at 38 campus locations; they hadn't been. Department stores, a public pool, the Olympic Gymnastic area, and a gaming company's headquarters have all been targeted. South Korea's National Police Agency has enlisted the help of Japanese authorities and Interpol, but the perpetrator remains unknown, as does their motive.