A gruesome incident took place in Tokyo's commercial district on Thursday, March 26. A female employee at the Ikebukuro Pokémon Center was stabbed to death. The suspect also stabbed himself in the neck.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Videos of shoppers reacting and leaving the scene after the incident have since gone viral on social media.
What Happened At the Pokémon Center?
According to Reuters, the victim, in her 20s, was stabbed in the neck at 7:16 local time. She was an employee at the Pokémon Center housed inside a commercial complex near Ikebukuro Station.
The suspect, also in his 20s, reportedly wielded knives in both hands, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Both the victim and the suspect were taken to the hospital. They were later pronounced dead.
Local media reports that the motive remains unknown. The police are investigating the incident as a murder. A spokesperson for the Pokémon Company, which operates several stores in Japan, was not immediately available for comment when the outlet reached out.
The Associated Press reports that the shop was full of children and their parents. A witness said he heard a woman screaming. Shelves came crashing to the floor. When he looked around, he saw a member of the staff with blood stains on his shirt. A man wearing black clothing was forcing his way into a sales counter.
Nearby stores pulled their shutters down for safety. The Pokémon Center in the Ikebukuro neighborhood is the largest in Tokyo. It is located in a large commercial district that features numerous shops and department stores. With spring break underway in the city, the area is busy with shoppers.
While violent crime is rare in Japan, there has been a rise in high-profile knife attacks in the last few years. Strict gun laws mean knife attacks are more common in the country.
Is the Pokémon Store Still Open?
In a statement posted on X, the Pokémon Center store said it will be closed until further notice, prioritizing cooperation with the police investigation and support for its staff.
"We deeply apologize to our customers for the tremendous worry and inconveniences," the company said.
