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Akihabara massacre

On 8 June 2008, a man drove a truck into pedestrians in Tokyo's Akihabara district and then attacked people with a knife, killing seven and injuring ten.

Place
Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan
Date
8 Jun 2008
Status
SolvedAuthorities consider the case resolved, usually after identifying or convicting the responsible person.
Sources
2 cited sources

Updated 23 Aug 2026

Overview

Case overview

On 8 June 2008, a man drove a truck into pedestrians in Tokyo's Akihabara district and then attacked people with a knife, killing seven and injuring ten. Tomohiro Kato was arrested at the scene, convicted, and sentenced to death. Katō was arrested for attempted murder after a police officer spotted him stabbing a woman. [1]

Katō was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court in 2011. On 24 March 2011, Katō was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court after it found him fully responsible for the attack. In September 2012, the Tokyo High Court upheld the death penalty on appeal. [2]

Intersection where the suspect's truck struck pedestrians in the so-called Akihabara Massacre. Pictured are inspectors surveying the scene, as well as blood-stained towels and personal items (thought to belong to the victims) scattered on the street.
Intersection where the suspect's truck struck pedestrians in the so-called Akihabara Massacre. Pictured are inspectors surveying the scene, as well as blood-stained towels and personal items (thought to belong to the victims) scattered on the street.Carpkazu · CC BY-SA 3.0 · View original ↗
Standard chronology

Key events

4 sourced milestones

Major events in the case, shown in chronological order.

  1. The investigation develops

    On 10 June, the police sent him to Tokyo District Prosecutor's Office. This milestone is documented in the cited case overview and supporting public record.

    Source: Wikipedia ↗

  2. Authorities make an arrest

    On 20 June, the police arrested him again on suspicion of murder of the seven victims.

    Source: Wikipedia ↗

  3. Court proceedings advance

    While being positive about his capacity to be held criminally liable, the Prosecutor's Office decided by 20 June to demand that Katō's detention for a psychiatric test be authorized by the Tokyo District Court.

    Source: Wikipedia ↗

  4. Japan carries out Katō’s sentence

    Tomohiro Katō was convicted and sentenced to death in 2011 after the Akihabara attack. Japan carried out the sentence in July 2022 after his appeals failed.

    Source: Wikipedia ↗
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