A vehicle bearing Russian diplomatic plates collided with a private car on Sakurada-dori in front of Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday evening, injuring four people and scattering debris across a major artery through Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki government district, police said.
The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. on an eight-lane stretch outside the ministry compound in Chiyoda Ward. One car had just left the ministry grounds; the other was travelling toward the Imperial Palace when the two vehicles struck, according to the Metropolitan Police Department and Kyodo News.
Who was involved
Police identified the diplomatic vehicle as linked to the Russian Embassy in Tokyo. A Russian woman in her 30s was the sole occupant of that car, while three men in their 20s to 40s rode in the civilian sedan, the Kojimachi Police Station told reporters. All four were conscious when taken to hospital; authorities described the injuries as not life-threatening.
Television footage aired by Japanese broadcasters showed one sedan wedged against the centre divider with a burst tyre, while the diplomatic car sustained front-end damage. A passerby in his 60s told Jiji Press he heard a loud bang and saw fragments spread across the roadway.
Russia’s embassy has not issued a detailed statement on the incident. Japan’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment beyond confirming that routine diplomatic traffic uses the Kasumigaseki compound; spokespeople referred questions on the investigation to police.
Investigation and immunity questions
Investigators are still reconstructing speeds and lane changes on the straight section where the impact occurred. Early reports from FNN and other outlets said one vehicle’s tyre burst before it rode onto the median, but police have not ruled out other factors.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, embassy vehicles enjoy immunity from search and certain enforcement actions, though Japan can investigate traffic offences and seek cooperation from the mission. Similar collisions in Tokyo have been resolved through insurance and administrative channels without escalating to a diplomatic crisis, but any crash involving Russian officials draws extra scrutiny given strained ties over Ukraine and disputed northern territories.
Traffic and security backdrop
Sakurada-dori carries heavy evening traffic between ministries, the Diet and business districts. Police rerouted buses and taxis for about an hour while crews cleared glass and metal. No ministry employees were reported hurt.
Fire and ambulance units treated the injured at the scene before hospitals confirmed stable conditions. Traffic cameras along the corridor are expected to provide investigators with lane-level detail once footage is downloaded.
For commuters, the episode was a brief disruption; for diplomats, it is a reminder of how visible embassy convoys are in a capital where Russian and Ukrainian envoys still operate under tight security. Until police release findings, the cause remains an open file—and the injured four will determine whether the incident stays a routine traffic matter or prompts embassy-level talks.