At least 15 people were injured in a stabbing attack at a rubber factory in central Japan on Friday, during which an unspecified liquid was also sprayed, according to emergency officials.
A firefighting department official in Mishima, southwest of Tokyo, told AFP that all 15 victims were taken to hospital. Of them, eight suffered stab wounds, while seven were affected by the sprayed liquid, which local media reported appeared to be bleach.
Emergency responders classified five victims as requiring urgent medical care, though officials confirmed that all victims remained conscious.
Authorities received an emergency call at around 4:30 pm local time, reporting that multiple people had been stabbed and that a “spray-like liquid” had been used at the factory.
Japanese media, including NHK, reported that police arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder. Investigative sources cited by The Asahi Shimbun said the suspect is a man in his 30s with a connection to the factory. He was reportedly wearing a gas mask and was armed with a survival knife. NHK identified the suspect as 38 years old.
A large number of ambulances, fire trucks, and emergency personnel were dispatched to the Yokohama Rubber Co. factory, which manufactures tyres for trucks and buses.
Violent crime remains rare in Japan, which has a low homicide rate and strict weapons laws. However, the country has witnessed isolated violent attacks in recent years, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, a fatal stabbing and shooting rampage in 2023, and other knife attacks in public spaces.
The incident has also revived memories of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, when members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released nerve gas on commuter trains, killing 14 people and injuring thousands.
