Japan: At least 14 people injured in stabbing, liquid spray attack; suspected attacker in custody

At least 14 people were taken to the hospital in a stabbing incident at a factory in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture on Friday (Dec 26), local media reported. The incident happened around 4:30 pm local time, according to a company official at the Yokohama Rubber Mishima Plant in Mishima City in central Japan. The official added that five or six people were stabbed with a bladed weapon, adding that a spray-like liquid had also been scattered at the site.

The police said that the suspected attacker has been taken into custody over attempted murder. An investigation is underway to determine the details of the incident. Public broadcaster NHK reported, citing police and fire authorities, that 14 people were taken to the hospital. The condition of the victims was not clear, although all victims remained conscious.

“Fourteen people are subject to transportation by emergency services,” Tomoharu Sugiyama, a firefighting department official in the city of Mishima, Shizuoka region, told AFP.

Asahi Shimbun daily reported that the man was in his 30s and was someone connected to the factory, and was seemingly armed with a survival knife. Local media reported that he was wearing what appeared to be a gas mask. NHK reported that the man told the police that he was 38 years old.

According to the corporate website, the factory in Mishima is operated by Yokohama Rubber Co., whose business includes manufacturing tyres for trucks and buses.

Violent crime is uncommon in Japan, a country known for its low homicide rate and some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. Nevertheless, isolated incidents still occur, including sporadic stabbing attacks and rare shootings, such as the 2022 assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.