Reports came out not too long ago about a stabbing, but in my opinion a massacre, in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan. The total of deaths from the incident is confirmed at seven with 10 wounded. It was reported that this man was suffering from depression and was “tired of life.”
From the article
TOKYO – A man plowed into shoppers with a truck Sunday and then stabbed 17 people within minutes, killing at least seven of them in a grisly attack that shocked a country known for its low crime rate.
The lunchtime violence in the Akihabara district, a popular electronics and video game area, sent thousands of people fleeing.
The assault, which occurred on the seventh anniversary of a mass stabbing at a Japanese elementary school, was the latest in a series of knife attacks that have stoked fears of rising violent crime in Japan.
A 25-year-old man, Tomohiro Kato, was arrested with blood on his face.
I think The Washington Post explains Akihabara best:
…Akihabara neighborhood, where thousands of young men from Japan and around the world gather for electronic gadgets and comic books, computer games and nerdy fellowship.
I want to know what restrictions the Navy will put in place in light of this event. There are no statements that there was any military involvement, but with the stabbing by a US Sailor a few months back anything is possible. It could be that the US doesn’t want Sailors or Marines to start snooping around the area causing disruption with the Japanese. This is even more important because it involved a Japanese national and not an American. It is rare that something like this would be published, but because of the there low violence rate and the magnitude of the event, it would be hard to cover up.
A part of uneasiness in Japan could be due to the arrival of the nuclear carrier USS George Washington that is to be pulling in soon. The GW is now delayed for arrival due to fires that erupted on board. The issue here is the fact that the carrier is nuclear powered, and the Japanese misunderstand the interpretation of nuclear power. Obviously the first thing that comes to their mind with nuclear is Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese oppose the idea of having a nuclear based ship in Japan in fear that it could result in the same fate those cities had during World War II. An appeal was filed not too long ago raising concerns about the safety of those who are working on or around the carrier.
It goes without saying that this is indeed a terrible tragedy that has befallen on the Japanese. They are known for their low rate in violence and peaceful culture. I just hope we can move on and that Mr. Tomohiro Kato gets what he deserves.