03 January 2024 , 21:36
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A young woman has been arrested after four people were stabbed on a train in Tokyo today.
At least three of those attacked were rushed to hospital following the disorder on the train that stopped on the Yamanote loop line at Akihabara Station in the heart of the Japanese capital.
The service was suspended due to "trouble on the train" at the station at around 11pm local time, East Japan Railway Company said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Local media said a report was made that a woman was wielding a knife on a train.
Police arrested a suspect, believed to be a woman in her 20s, at the station and continue to investigate the incident, which caused disruption on Tokyo's busy train network. No further details, including the condition of the injured and a motive for the attack, have been declared by emergency services but local media says none of the wounded have sustained life-threatening injuries.
Violent crimes are typically rare in Japan, which has strict gun control laws and only a handful of gun-related crimes annually. In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases involving random knife attacks and arson on subways, and there is growing concern about homemade guns and explosives.
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Akihabara is the site of a 2008 vehicle crash and stabbing rampage in which the attacker killed seven people and injured 10 others. He was sentenced to death and executed last year. Train operators in major cities have been stepping up safety measures, including installing security cameras on train cars and conducting more frequent drills among station staff.
The area of Akihabara, traditionally home to retailers of electronics and gadgets, is a major tourism hotspot in Tokyo and has become synonymous with video games, comic books and outlandish fashion.