Man arrested after slashing several people in east Japan
Hirokazu Shiobara was arrested at the scene for attempting to murder a man in his 70s by slashing his face and right wrist. The incident occurred around 6:10 p.m. in a shopping area around 750 meters northwest of Mito Station in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.
Shiobara admitted to the slashing, with police suspecting him of having carried out an indiscriminate attack.
An emergency call was made about someone being "slashed with a machete on the street," according to the authorities. A witness said the suspect had in his possession no fewer than three blades.
The victims were sent to hospital and all were conscious, the police said.
The attack comes as the area readies for the Mito Komon Festival this upcoming weekend.
"It sends chills down my spine thinking about if something similar were to happen during the festival," a man in his 30s living nearby said.
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Man arrested after slashing several people in east Japan
Photo shows the scene of an attack in which several people were slashed with a blade in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture on July 28, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo A 48-year-old man was arrested following an attack in eastern Japan on Monday in which several people were slashed with a blade, according to local authorities. Hirokazu Shiobara was arrested at the scene for attempting to murder a man in his 70s by slashing his face and right wrist. The incident occurred around 6:10 p.m. in a shopping area around 750 meters northwest of Mito Station in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo. Shiobara admitted to the slashing, with police suspecting him of having carried out an indiscriminate attack. An emergency call was made about someone being "slashed with a machete on the street," according to the authorities. A witness said the suspect had in his possession no fewer than three blades. The victims were sent to hospital and all were conscious, the police said. The attack comes as the area readies for the Mito Komon Festival this upcoming weekend. "It sends chills down my spine thinking about if something similar were to happen during the festival," a man in his 30s living nearby said. © KYODO
