TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police have arrested a 22-year-old South Korean sociology student following a hammer attack that occurred at Hosei University’s Tama campus in the western suburbs of Tokyo. The incident took place during class on Friday and resulted in several injuries among students.
The suspect was taken into custody immediately after she allegedly attacked a male student, inflicting minor injuries. According to reports from the Tokyo metropolitan police, she went on to strike seven additional students in what appeared to be a series of indiscriminate attacks. The intention behind her actions remains unclear, as officials have not confirmed whether they were premeditated.
Kyodo News reported that during her questioning, the suspect expressed feelings of "frustration," attributing her violent outburst to experiences of being ignored and bullied by her classmates. She reportedly used a hammer that she found on campus for the assault. Eyewitnesses noted that approximately 150 students were present in the classroom during the incident, with one student describing how the attacker swung the hammer without a clear target, hitting individuals seated in the last row. This chaotic scene prompted many students to flee the classroom in fear.
Further statements from witnesses suggested that the attacker's expression remained neutral throughout the incident, reinforcing the perception that she was not specifically targeting anyone. The ongoing investigation by local police has yet to reveal any additional details about the case or further findings from the inquiry.
This incident highlights the complex social dynamics that exist in Japan, where South Koreans and other foreigners sometimes face discrimination due to historical tensions between Japan and Korea. These arise from Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula, which lasted until Japan’s defeat in World War II in 1945.
While serious crimes are rare in Japan, there have been instances of random violence in recent years. Notably, a junior high school student was fatally stabbed in December while waiting in line at a McDonald’s in Kitakyushu, leading to the arrest of a suspect shortly after. Additionally, in 2022, two students were attacked while heading to their university entrance exams just outside the University of Tokyo, resulting in one suspect being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The troubling pattern of random acts of violence, despite Japan's reputation for public safety, raises questions about social pressures among young people and the potential for incidents to escalate from personal frustrations to violent outbursts.
