Kyoto Station partially closed whilst bomb squad investigate "foreign object"

A temporary suspension of multiple JR West train lines occurred on Saturday morning following the discovery of a suspicious package at Kyoto Station.

The incident, which prompted a police investigation and the attendance of the explosive disposal team, resulted in the evacuation of the station platform.

This caused significant disruption to commuter travel and railway services in the Kyoto area, affecting approximately 76,000 passengers.

The incident resulted in JR Kyoto Station being evacuated

According to JR West, the incident began at approximately 6:47 AM when a station attendant at Kyoto Station contacted the Osaka Control Center, reporting the presence of a “suspicious object” on one of the platforms.

A subsequent investigation by station personnel led to the temporary closure of a platform at approximately 6:50 AM.

The Kyoto Prefectural Police responded to the report and located a polystyrene foam box near the center of the platform.

NHK News showed the suspicious box on national news

The box, measuring roughly 40 centimeters in length, 50 centimeters in width, and 40 centimeters in height, was wrapped in yellow vinyl tape which raised concerns about its contents.

As a precautionary measure, the police explosive disposal team was dispatched to the scene to conduct a thorough examination.

The Kyoto Prefectural Police Shimogyo Station confirmed that the box contained foreign-made food products including sweets and other miscellaneous items, and was ultimately determined not to pose a threat.

Officers from Shimogyo Station were involved in the investigation

During the investigation, JR West implemented safety protocols, evacuating passengers from the affected platform and restricting access to ticket gates.

Consequently, train services arriving at and departing from Kyoto Station were suspended for approximately two hours.

The suspension of services impacted several major JR West lines, including the JR Kyoto Line, JR Biwako Line, JR Sagano Line, JR Nara Line, and JR Kosei Line.

The disruption lasted for approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, causing significant delays and inconvenience for commuters and travelers.

JR Kyoto Station is one of the main stations in Japan’s Kansai region

JR West reported that approximately 76,000 passengers were affected by the service disruptions.

The incident occurred on the same day as the official opening ceremony for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which is located in nearby Osaka.

The Kyoto Prefectural Police confirmed that they had been increasing vigilance and security measures at the station in conjunction with the Expo’s opening.

Extra security precautions are necessary given that a new Osaka Metro Station near the expo site was subjected to a bomb threat and an American tourist was arrested under suspicion of planning a terrorist attack on the Expo.

Sources: NHK