Tragedy struck Tokyo’s Akihabara district on Sunday, June 8 when a man drove truck into a crowd of shoppers, then got out and stabbed 17 people, leaving seven dead.
According to Mainichi Daily News, Police arrested 25-year-old Tomohiro Kato at the scene.
For those that don’t know, Akihabara has quite possibly the world’s best electronics and video game district. For geeks around the world, this is their Mecca.
This comes as a big shock to everyone as Japan has a very low crime rate compared to other industrialized nations. Despite similar incidents in January and March of this year, violent outbursts like this are, at least traditionally, very uncommon. I’ve heard that in some parts of Japan, people don’t lock their doors.
According to Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department investigators, Kato posted messages on a mobile phone site earlier that morning announcing his plans. One post was titled “I will kill people in Akihabara” and stated “I will drive into a crowd, then I will use a knife after I’ve finished with the vehicle. Goodbye everyone.”
Police say there were other entries on a Japanese message board.
The first question that comes to mind when something like this happens is why? What could have driven a seemingly normal person to do such horrible things? Apparently, not much.
The only specific event anyone can see as setting him off was someone at his job misplacing his uniform. He was something of a social isolate, and hadn’t been close with his family for some time. Jiro Akaogi, a spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, said,
“The suspect told police that he came to Akihabara to kill people. He said he was tired of life. He said he was sick of everything.”
Could more have been done to prevent this tragedy? Probably not. Someone should put up more traffic barriers, but the worst of the attack was after he got out of the truck.
Authorities have already asked retailers and manufacturers to stop selling and making daggers. Many have voluntarily done so, but that doesn’t stop someone from using a kitchen knife, or even a really pointy stick. The problem here isn’t with legislation or safety, it’s with society in general.
No, not violent media, but with us. All of us. How many of you don’t know your neighbors on a first name basis? I know I don’t, but their bumper stickers lead me to believe that I’d hate them.
Anyway, we should take the time to get to know each other. Just knowing that someone cares goes a long way.
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