2008 Akihabara massacre

The Akihabara massacre (Japanese: 秋葉原通り魔事件, Hepburn: Akihabara Tōrima Jiken) was an incident of mass murder that took place on 8 June 2008, in the Akihabara shopping quarter in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The perpetrator, 25-year-old Tomohiro Katō (加藤 智大, Katō Tomohiro) of Susono, Shizuoka,^[1][2] drove into a crowd with a rented truck, initially killing three people and injuring two; he then stabbed at least twelve people using a dagger, killing four other people and injuring eight.^[3][4][1][5]

Akihabara massacre
The crossing in Akihabara shortly after the incident
Location	Akihabara, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Coordinates	35°41′59″N 139°46′17″E / 35.69972°N 139.77139°E / 35.69972; 139.77139
Date	8 June 2008 12:33–12:36 (JST)
Attack type	Mass murder, vehicle-ramming attack, stabbing
Weapons	Isuzu Elf truck, Smith & Wesson HRT dagger
Deaths	7
Injured	10
Perpetrator	Tomohiro Katō

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested Katō on suspicion of attempted murder,^[1][5] holding him at Manseibashi police station.^[6] Two days later on 10 June, he was sent to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office.^[1][2] He was later re-arrested by the police on 20 June on suspicion of murder.^[5][7][8] Katō was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court in 2011. The sentence was upheld on appeal in 2015,^[9] and he was executed on 26 July 2022.^[10]

Details

 

The rented truck used to run into the crowd

Incident

On 8 June 2008, Tomohiro Katō drove a five-ton, rented Isuzu Elf truck into a crowd at the crossing of Kanda Myōjin-dōri and Chūō-dōri streets in Akihabara, Chiyoda, Tokyo.^[11][12] While Kanda Myōjin-dōri was open to vehicular traffic, Chūō-dōri was closed for the convenience of shopping pedestrians,^[11] a practice observed during Sundays and holidays.^[13] At 12:33, Katō hit five people with the truck after ignoring a red light.^[14][15] As some people gathered to care for the victims,^[16] Katō climbed out of the truck and stabbed at least twelve people with a dagger, according to a witness, while screaming.^[17][18] Police chased Katō and cornered him in a narrow alley, and a police officer pointed a gun at him; he dropped his knife and was held down by the police at 12:35 about 170 meters (600 ft) away from the truck.^[11][14]

Victims

At least seventeen ambulances rushed to the scene as passersby tried to aid the victims. Five of the victims reportedly died at the scene.^[19] It was initially reported two people died from the attack, and during the day the death toll increased to seven. Later it was determined through autopsies that three victims died as a result of being hit by the truck while the other four were fatally stabbed.^[20]

According to police and hospital officials, six of the seven victims who were killed were men, including Kazunori Fujino and his friend Takahiro Kamaguchi (both 19), Katsuhiko Nakamura (74), Naoki Miyamoto (31), Mitsuru Matsui (33), and Kazuhiro Koiwa (47). One woman, Mai Mutō (21), was also killed.^[21] Communication records showed that Mutō probably made an emergency call to police from her mobile phone, though she left no message.^[22] Later that day, a makeshift memorial was created by the public.^[23][24]

Perpetrator

Tomohiro Katō
Katō during the attack, armed with a knife
Born	(1982-09-28)September 28, 1982 Aomori, Japan
Died	July 26, 2022(2022-07-26) (aged 39) Tokyo Detention House, Tokyo, Japan
Cause of death	Execution by hanging
Criminal status	Executed
Conviction(s)	Murder (7 counts)
Criminal penalty	Death

Tomohiro Katō (加藤 智大, Katō Tomohiro, 28 September 1982 – 26 July 2022) grew up in a suburban home in Aomori.^[25][26] His father was a top manager in a financial institution. Katō's grades were considered to be exceptional in elementary school and he was a top track athlete.^[25] He entered Tsukuda Junior High School,^[27] where he became president of the tennis club. However, Katō started to behave violently at home after enrolling at Aomori High School, an elite high school.^[28][29] There, his class academic ranking fell to 300 (of 360 students) and he failed entrance examinations for the prestigious Hokkaido University, eventually training as an auto mechanic at Nakanihon Automotive College.^[25] Katō was hired as a temporary worker at an auto parts factory in Shizuoka Prefecture, though he had been recently told that his job was to be cut at the end of June.^[29]

Katō reportedly did not get along well with his parents, and seldom returned home.^[30][31] An interview with Katō's brother revealed that his parents had put immense pressure on both of them to perform and to excel in their studies,^[30] ordering them to redo their homework to high standards in order to impress teachers in school, and recalled one incident when Katō was made to eat scraps of food from the floor.^[31] Another neighbor recounted an incident where Katō's parents forced him to stand outside for hours in deep, cold snow during winter.^[25] Previous online postings before his announcement of the attack contained sharp criticisms of his upbringing.^[32] Deeply in debt and believing that his family had given up on him, Katō unsuccessfully attempted suicide in 2006 by ramming his car into a wall.^[25]

Three days before the attack, on 5 June, Katō accused people at his workplace of hiding his work clothes and left the premises immediately afterwards. Apparently he believed at this point he was going to lose his job, though this was not actually the case,^[27][33][34] and may have triggered the attack.^[35]

Katō apparently posted messages from his mobile phone to a website called "Extreme Exchange, Revised",^[36][37] revealing his intentions through his final message twenty minutes before the attack.^[38] A police official stated the first message read, "I will kill people in Akihabara." Other messages he is alleged to have posted include, "If only I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't have quit work", "I would never have become addicted to my mobile phone. Anybody with hope couldn't possibly understand how I feel",^[39] and, "I don't have a single friend and I won't in the future. I'll be ignored because I'm ugly. I'm lower than trash because at least the trash gets recycled."^[29] The message also referred to "a stabbing spree in Tsuchiura".^[40] Based on Katō's messages, commentators referred to the incident as another case of Japan's hikikomori becoming more violent and suicidal.^[41][42][43] Later messages revealed Katō's plan to use a vehicle until it became inoperable, and then to use a knife to continue the attack on foot.^[44][45] He waited for Chūō-dōri to close at noon to vehicular traffic before commencing the attack.^[46][47]

Investigation

Katō was arrested for attempted murder after a police officer spotted him stabbing a woman.^[5] On 10 June the police sent him to Tokyo District Prosecutor's Office.^[1][2] On 20 June the police arrested him again on suspicion of murder^[5] of the seven victims.^[7] That same day, the Prosecutor's Office withheld action on him for the first suspicion.^[48] While being positive about his capacity to be held criminally liable,^[7] the Prosecutor's Office decided by 20 June to demand that Katō's detention for a psychiatric test be authorized by the Tokyo District Court.^[7][48]

Katō erased all contacts and communication records from his mobile phone just prior to the attack, the purpose of which he confessed was to avoid annoying those around him.^[47] Katō later said that he posted the online messages hoping that police would take notice and stop him.^[49] The weapons Katō used in the attack were reportedly purchased two days before at a military supply shop in Fukui, at about 12:40.^[29] Katō spent about twenty minutes in the store, purchasing a telescopic baton and a pair of leather gloves, while the store's CCTV captured him conversing with the salesman and demonstrating stabbing motions.^[50][51] Katō came to Akihabara the day before the attack to sell his personal computer and some software to raise money to rent the truck.^[51][52]

Reactions and consequences

 

The 35-year practice of closing Chūō-dōri avenue to vehicular traffic on Sundays and holiday afternoons was discontinued after the attack. The Japanese text on the sign translates in English to "Pedestrian precinct shall be discontinued for the time being from June 15."^[13]

The Akihabara attack made global headlines and sent shock waves across Japan,^[53] shaking public confidence in what is traditionally considered a society safe from violent crime.^[54] The Japanese government said it would review laws regulating knives,^[55][56][57] while the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission announced that the 35-year-old practice of closing Chūō-dōri on Sundays and holidays was to be suspended until safety measures were reviewed;^[13] the practice of closing traffic on Sundays resumed in 2011.^[58] On 17 June 2008, convicted serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki was executed by hanging, which was suspected to be a reaction to Katō's massacre.^[59][60]

The massacre also sparked many conversations in Japanese blogs when it was discovered that two Ustream users had broadcast live video streams of the tragedy, attracting a viewership estimated at between 1,000 and 3,000 people. No known recording has been saved of the videos, although the event has been written about in many Japanese blogs and online IT magazines.^[61][62] The Japanese media labeled the attacks as a growing epidemic of "kireru" (キレる), acts of rage committed by Tokyo's alienated youth; others labeled the otaku culture as the answer for its negative stereotype of compulsive, antisocial behavior.^[63]

Konami canceled three launch events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in Tokyo, with the "safety of participants in mind" as a result of the attack.^[64][65] Elsewhere, the Super Sentai series airing at the time of the attack, Engine Sentai Go-onger, featured transforming daggers as part of the heroes' standard personal sidearms, called "Switch Funshaken Rocket Dagger(s)". After the attack, which occurred the day immediately after the daggers made their debut in the series, both Bandai (the company that makes the toy versions of the weapons) and Toei (the company that produces the TV series) changed their names to "Switch Funshaken Rocket Booster(s)" and re-designated them as "swords" rather than "daggers" out of respect for the victims of the attack, and to lessen any trauma in the 6-to-8-year-old audience that the tokusatsu franchise regularly targets.^[66]

 

Makeshift memorial set up at Akihabara for mourning

Katō's parents gave an apology to the victims in a television interview after the massacre.^[67] As of 2010 Katō's father had resigned from his job and was living in seclusion in Aomori, while his mother had been hospitalized for mental health reasons.^[68] In April 2014, Katō's 28-year-old brother committed suicide, having previously indicated that he was unable to live with the scars and shame resulting from the massacre.^[69]

Conviction and execution

On 24 March 2011, Katō was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court after it found him fully responsible for the attack. In September 2012, the Tokyo High Court upheld the death penalty on appeal.^[70] Katō expressed remorse over the massacre, stating that he "would like to apologize to those who passed away, the injured and their families". Upon entering a guilty plea, he said he "knew he was the culprit though [he] had no memory of some parts of the incident".^[71] The Supreme Court of Japan upheld the death penalty on 2 February 2015.^[72] Katō's death sentence was subsequently finalized, and he was held on death row until he was executed by hanging at the Tokyo Detention House on the morning of 26 July 2022.^[73][26]

Related or similar events

The stabbings occurred exactly seven years after the Osaka school massacre, where eight elementary school students were killed by Mamoru Takuma.^[4][74] 2008 had already seen another random knife killing by Masahiro Kanagawa,^[75] though on a smaller scale. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who visited the site a week after the massacre to offer prayer to the victims,^[76] said that he "is worried that similar cases occur about ten times a year in Japan."^[33][77] According to the National Police Agency, 67 similar random attacks have taken place between 1998 and 2007.^[54] It was reported that Katō's massacre was "the worst case of its kind" since World War II "in terms of the number of deaths".^[33][78][79]

A few days after the attack, police arrested several people who stated their intention to commit copycat killings elsewhere in Japan,^{[80][81][82][83][84][85]} including one case who made his intentions known to popular message board 2channel.^[86][87] On 22 June, three women were injured by a female attacker at Ōsaka Station;^[88] a 38-year-old woman later confessed to attacking two of the victims with a razor.^[89] A 19-year-old man who made an Internet threat to go on a 15 June stabbing spree at Tokyo Disney Resort was arrested by police.^[90] Between eight and twenty-three people were arrested, and five people warned, for making threatening messages. The seventeen people involved in the threats ranged between ages 13 and 30.^[91] On 26 June 2008, police overpowered and arrested a man who was found to have a knife in his possession in Akihabara.^[92] In May 2019, a stabbing attack in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, resulted in the death of at least two people.^[93]

See also

• 2019 Tokyo car attack
• Bozo (film)
• Capital punishment in Japan
• List of executions in Japan
• List of massacres in Japan
• 2014 AKB48 handsaw assault

References

1. (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
2. . The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
3. Dolan, David (8 June 2008). "Man stabs shoppers in Tokyo street, killing seven". Reuters. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
4. Masters, Coco (9 June 2008). . Time. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
5. 秋葉原殺傷：通行人を次々襲い交差点縦断…殺人で再逮捕. The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 20 June 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
6. . The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
7. . The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 21 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
8. "Kato Tomohiro | Japan Innocence & Death Penalty Information Center 日本冤罪・死刑情報センター".
9. . Japan Innocence & Death Penalty Information Center. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
10. "Assailant in Tokyo's Akihabara fatal rampage executed". The Japan Times. 26 July 2022.
11. 秋葉原通り魔：死亡７人、負傷１０人に…２５歳男を逮捕. The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 9 June 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
12. "Seven dead in Tokyo knife attack". BBC News. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
13. "東京・秋葉原殺傷：歩行者天国の中止、公安委員会が決定(No more pedestrians-only street in Akihabara following stabbing rampage)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 13 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
14. "秋葉原殺傷：突入から逮捕まで２分間で１７人襲う 容疑者(Akihabara mass slayer attacked 17 victims in 2 minutes)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 16 June 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
15. "Knife rampage, arrest over in 2 mins". The Daily Yomiuri. 17 June 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
16. "Akihabara random killer stabbed three people who were caring for victims". Mainichi Daily News. 17 June 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
17. McCurry, Justin (9 June 2008). "'He was screaming as he stabbed people': seven die in frenzied knife attack in Tokyo". The Guardian. London. from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
18. "7 dead in Tokyo stabbing rampage". USA Today (Associated Press). 8 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
19. Banerjee, Subhajit (8 June 2008). "Tokyo stabbing: Five killed as man goes on knife rampage in Akihabara". The Telegraph. London. from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
20. "秋葉原通り魔：被害者３人は全身打撲、４人は失血死(3 of Akihabara attack victims were fatally hit by truck, 4 others stabbed to death)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
21. "7 die in Tokyo stabbing frenzy / Suspect posted messages on Net warning of Akihabara attack". The Daily Yomiuri. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
22. "Akihabara street rampage victim called police during attack". Mainichi Daily News. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
23. . The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
    

    (in Japanese). 8 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.

    (in Japanese). 8 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.

    (in Japanese). 8 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.

    (in Japanese). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.

    (in Japanese). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.

    (in Japanese). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.

24. "東京・秋葉原殺傷：アキバを愛すオタク流の弔い アニメのセル画、献花台に手向け(Akihabara regulars pay 'otaku' tribute to stabbing rampage victims)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 13 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
25. "For Akiba mass murderer Tomohiro Katō, the problems began at home, say shrinks". Sunday Mainichi Magazine. 22 June 2008.
26. "東京 秋葉原通り魔事件 加藤智大死刑囚に死刑執行 政府関係者".
27. "秋葉原通り魔：「作業服ない」騒ぐ…加藤容疑者(Missing work clothes at factory may have sparked Akihabara stabbing rampage)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
28. ["I am not getting along with my parents." Was Suspect Katō's Isolation Deepening?]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
29. . The Straits Times (AFP). 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
30. "Rampage suspect didn't get on well with parents". The Daily Yomiuri. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
31. "Tokyo killer 'stifled' by strict mum". The Sydney Morning Herald (AFP). 16 June 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
32. "Akihabara suspect blames parents, work". International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun. 12 June 2008. from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
33. Hogg, Chris (10 June 2008). "Japan seeks answers on knife attack". BBC News. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
34. "Katō 'claims job despair made him kill'". The Daily Yomiuri. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
35. 秋葉原事件、作業着の騒ぎが犯行のきっかけ 容疑者供述 (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. from the original on 11 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
36. Eric Talmadge & Mari Yamaguchi (12 June 2008). "Tokyo stabbing melee foretold on Internet postings". Forbes. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 June 2008.^{[dead link]}
37. 7 dead in Akihabara stabbings [UPDATE] – Japanator.com – anime blog, anime podcast, manga, anime wallpapers, pictures, games, movies, and more!
38. "Japan police probe stab 'warning'". BBC News. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
39. "誰でもよかった：秋葉原通り魔事件／上（その１） 孤独な心情、サイトに(Akihabara mass murder suspect said he empathized with indiscriminate killers)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 10 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
40. (in Japanese). Nikkan sports. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
41. Kelts, Ronald (13 June 2008). "SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / No man, or nation, is an island". The Daily Yomiuri. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
42. Ryall, Julian (11 June 2008). . The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
43. Lewis, Leo (19 June 2008). . The Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
44. "Knife frenzy suspect warned: It's time". CNN. 9 June 2008. from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
45. Reynolds, Isabel (9 June 2008). . The Star (Malaysia) (Reuters). Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
46. "Katō 'waited for crowds to form' / Akihabara knifing spree suspect said to have known busiest time in area". The Daily Yomiuri. 12 June 2008. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
47. "秋葉原殺傷：加藤容疑者、ホコ天開始までトラック止め待機(Suspect waited for crowds of pedestrians before going on Akihabara rampage)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 11 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
48. (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. 20 June 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
49. "Akihabara stabbing rampage suspect hoped Net warning would alert police". Mainichi Daily News. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
50. "Katō 'spent 20 minutes choosing knives'". The Daily Yomiuri. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
51. "Knives in Tokyo rampage bought just before the assault". International Herald Tribune (Associated Press). 10 June 2008. from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
52. Talmadge, Eric (10 June 2008). . Forbes. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
53. "Killings make global headlines". The Daily Yomiuri. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
54. "Society's notion of safety shaken to its core". The Daily Yomiuri. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
55. "Japan to review knife rules". Al Jazeera. 9 June 2008. from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
56. Hogg, Chris (8 June 2008). "Bewilderment in Tokyo after attack". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
57. Lewis, Leo (9 June 2008). "On the spot: Japan's geeks come to mourn". The Times. London. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
58. "Ambivalence as Akihabara pedestrian zone reopens". The Japan Times. 22 January 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
59. Foster, Martin (18 June 2008). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
60. . The Seattle Times. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
61. Salzberg, Chris (4 November 2008). "The day Japan's netizens turned news on its head". Japan Inc. from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
62. Salzberg, Chris (16 June 2008). "Japan: Reflections on the Akiba Massacre (Part 2)". Global Voices. from the original on 19 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
63. EGM Magazine September 2008 Issue, Page 16.
64. Yuasa, Shino (11 June 2008). . Time (Associated Press). Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
65. "秋葉原殺傷：コナミ 「メタルギア」の発売記念イベント中止 「安全性を考慮」 (Konami cancels 'Metal Gear Solid' release events following Akihabara stabbing spree)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 11 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008.^{[permanent dead link]}
66. 「【秋葉原通り魔事件】ダガーナイフ連想…ゴーオンジャー武器の名称変更」事件です‐事件ニュース:イザ！ 27 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
67. Ryall, Julian (11 June 2008). . The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
68. "Father of Akihabara killer quits work; mother hospitalized". Japan Today. 13 February 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
69. 『秋葉原事件』加藤智大の弟、自殺1週間前に語っていた「死ぬ理由に勝る、生きる理由がない」 [Brother of Akihabara massacre Tomohiro Kato talked of no reason to live one week before suicide]. J-Cast TV Watch (in Japanese). J-Cast Inc. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
70. "Tomohiro Kato sentenced to death over Tokyo stabbings". BBC News. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
71. Kamiya, Setsuko (29 January 2010). . The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
72. Osaki, Tomohiro (2 February 2015). "Death sentence confirmed for Akihabara rampage killer". The Japan Times. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
73. "Japan carried out death sentence for 2008 Akihabara mass murderer -NHK". Reuters. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
74. "7 killed, 10 injured in stabbing rampage in Akihabara". Japan Today. 8 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
75. McNeill, David (9 June 2008). . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
76. "Japan's Fukuda prays for stabbing victims". The Straits Times (AFP). 19 June 2008. from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
77. (NHK World website 10/6/08)
78. Gomez, Edward M. (10 June 2008). "A bloody rampage shocks low-crime Japan". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle.
79. "7 knife frenzies in 10 yrs; Akihabara worst postwar street stabbing". The Daily Yomiuri. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
80. "Papers to be sent on girl over bloodbath warning". The Daily Yomiuri. 16 June 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
81. "脅迫：無差別殺傷ほのめかすメール送った男逮捕 大阪府警(Man nabbed after threatening singer's agency to go on 'Akihabara-like' killing spree)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 15 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
82. "書き込み：「空港駅で人を刺す」…２４歳男逮捕 愛知(Man arrested over random stabbing threat at airport railway station)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 17 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
83. "ネット書き込み：「渋谷で大量殺人」…福井の私大生逮捕(University student arrested over mass murder threat in Shibuya)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 20 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
84. "ネット殺人予告：１６歳少女を家裁に書類送致 警視庁(Girl posts 'Akihabara-style' mass murder threat on Internet)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 23 June 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
85. "秋葉原殺傷：犯行予告の書き込み、事件後に１７件 警察庁(Flood of 'Akihabara-style' murder threats posted on Internet: NPA)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 24 June 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
86. "偽計業務妨害：秋葉原事件まねた書き込み男逮捕 池袋署(Akihabara copycat arrested for threatening Tokyo street attack)". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 16 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
87. "4 arrested in Japan for Web posts warning of more bloody attacks". International Herald Tribune (Associated Press). 17 June 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
88. "Japanese police search for female stabber". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 23 June 2008. from the original on 1 July 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2008.
89. "Woman arrested over Osaka Station attacks admits slashing 2 victims with razor". Mainichi Shimbun. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2008. ^{[dead link]}
90. "Japanese police arrest man over Internet stabbing threat". International Herald Tribune (Associated Press). 23 June 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2008.
91. . Sankei Sports. 24 June 2008. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
92. "傷害：川崎の２２歳無職と判明 秋葉原で逮捕の男 Arrested man identified after knife scuffle with police in Akihabara". The Mainichi Newspapers (in Japanese). 27 June 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2008. ^{[dead link]}
93. Braine, Theresa; Matthews, David (28 May 2019). "Knife-wielding maniac attacks schoolgirls at bus stop outside Tokyo, kills two, self, injures 16 others". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 28 May 2019.

External links

•   Media related to Akihabara massacre at Wikimedia Commons
•   Man attacks people, kills 7 in Akihabara, Tokyo at Wikinews