Japan: At Least 8 Injured in Hammer Attack at Tokyo University (Media)
A hammer attack on Friday injured at least eight people at a university campus in Tokyo before the assailant was apprehended by law enforcement, according to local media reports.
Public broadcaster NHK stated that “none of the injured individuals have lost consciousness.” The incident took place on the Hosei University campus, situated in the Tama district of the western suburbs of the Japanese capital.
Reports from Jiji Press and other outlets indicate that a female student in her twenties has been arrested in connection with the attack.
Live footage broadcasted by NHK displayed a long line of emergency vehicles and ambulances, their sirens flashing, making their way to the university site in the Machida area.
Violent crimes are relatively rare in Japan, which is known for its stringent gun control regulations, particularly concerning firearms. However, knife attacks and even shootings do occur, as demonstrated by the incident that resulted in the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
In 2019, two individuals, including a schoolgirl, were fatally stabbed, and more than a dozen others were injured in Kawasaki during an attack targeting children waiting for a bus. The 51-year-old assailant subsequently took his own life by cutting his throat.
