A female employee at a Pokemon merchandise store in Tokyo was tragically stabbed to death on Thursday, with the suspected assailant also dying after turning the knife on himself.
The shocking incident unfolded during Japan’s children’s spring break season, leaving shoppers stunned in the bustling commercial district.
The woman, in her twenties, suffered a fatal neck wound at approximately 7.16pm local time (1016 GMT) within a commercial complex.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the male attacker, also in his twenties, died by self-inflicted wounds. Both individuals were pronounced dead at a hospital within an hour of the attack.
Broadcaster TV Asahi reported that the woman was a staff member at the Pokemon Center store located in the building, and the perpetrator was seen wielding knives in both hands. The motive behind the violent act remains unclear, according to local media reports.
Videos shared on social media captured the chaotic scene, showing shoppers fleeing the area as ambulances converged on the building.
The complex is situated just a few hundred metres from Ikebukuro terminal, one of Tokyo’s busiest train stations.
A spokesperson for The Pokemon Co, which operates around two dozen stores across Japan selling merchandise from the popular franchise, was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.
Due to Japan’s strict gun controls, knife attacks represent a more common form of public violence, with several stabbing incidents reported on trains and at railway stations in recent years.
