Victims Mourned 18 Years after Akihabara Stabbing Incident

Tokyo, June 8 (Jiji Press)–People mourned the victims of a 2008 indiscriminate stabbing incident in Tokyo’s Akihabara district on Monday, the 18th anniversary of the rampage that led to the deaths of seven people and injuries for 10 others. In light rain, mourners visited the intersection where the attack took place and offered flowers and other items to remember the victims. A self-employed man in his 50s who spent his childhood in Akihabara said that he visits the site every year to pay his respects. “I could have been a victim myself,” he said. “We must never forget that the incident happened.” A man in his 40s who was visiting from Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, central Japan, said: “It was an incident in which one person’s selfish actions took lives. We must remember it forever and ensure it is never repeated.” The incident occurred around 12:33 p.m. on June 8, 2008. The attacker, Tomohiro Kato, then 25, rammed a truck into a pedestrian area near Akihabara Station of East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, and hit passers-by before attacking them with a dagger. Kato was sentenced to death for murder and other charges, with the ruling finalized by the Supreme Court in 2015. He was executed in July 2022. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]