Suspect in Tokyo law firm stabbing held grudge against victim, police say
The attack occurred around 11:50 a.m. at the Adire law office at Sunshine 60, a high-rise in the Sunshine City commercial complex in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo's Toshima Ward.
Reito Watanabe is alleged to have approached Daiki Yoshino, a coworker from a different department, from behind while he was seated at his desk and stabbed him multiple times in the neck with a 9-centimeter folding knife.
Watanabe then fled the scene, returned briefly to retrieve his office ID badge, and fled again. He turned himself in at a nearby police box outside Ikebukuro Station shortly after noon while still carrying the alleged murder weapon.
NHK reported that Watanabe was also carrying two additional knives in his backpack, and that he had brought the folding knife from his home.
Yoshino was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
'I stabbed him,' Watanabe reportedly told officers. 'I don't remember it clearly, but when I came to, I had stabbed him.'
During questioning, Watanabe reportedly said, 'I had held a grudge against him for a long time due to unpleasant experiences at work. I had reached my limit. I wanted to make him feel pain.'
Police arrested Watanabe on suspicion of attempted murder, and plan to upgrade the charge to murder as their investigation continues.
Adire specializes in services such as debt restructuring and overpayment claims against financial institutions. It has 65 branches nationwide and employs more than 235 lawyers.
The firm expressed its regret over the incident in a statement on its official website.
'This incident has resulted in the tragic loss of a precious life. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and offer our deepest sympathies,' the statement read.
'We are prioritizing the emotional well-being of the employees who witnessed the incident, as well as all our staff. We take this matter very seriously and are cooperating fully with the police investigation.'
A woman working on the same floor of the building as the law firm told reporters she was shaken by the violence.
'I heard in the hallway that something had happened and checked the news online. It's terrifying,' she said, her voice trembling.
Sunshine City is a sprawling complex located near Ikebukuro Station. It is made up of five buildings that consist of offices, hotels, a planetarium, an aquarium and a large shopping center. It attracts over 30 million visitors annually.
Information from Jiji added
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Hiroshima school exits Summer Koshien tournament over bullying
A Hiroshima Prefecture high school hit by a bullying scandal has withdrawn from the hugely popular National High School Baseball Championship after a social media frenzy, officials said Sunday. An outcry over alleged violence earlier this year within the baseball team of Koryo High School in Hiroshima Prefecture prompted calls on social media for their withdrawal from the tournament, which is played at historic Koshien Stadium near Osaka and better known as Summer Koshien. "We have decided to pull out, and will swiftly conduct an overhaul of our education method," Masakazu Hori, the principal of the school, told reporters. It is reportedly the first time that a school has exited mid-tournament over a scandal related to player violence. Koshien tournament co-organizer, the Japan High School Baseball Federation, on Sunday described the bullying case as "extremely regrettable" and vowed to continue efforts to "eradicate violence, bullying and irrational hierarchical relationships." Koryo High said on Wednesday that an internal investigation had found a first-year student on the baseball team had been assaulted by four of his senior teammates at their dormitory in January. The acts of violence included shoving him in the chest and slapping him in the face, with the victim then transferred to another school in March following an apology by his assailants, the school said. The opening ceremony for the National High School Baseball Championship is held at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Tuesday. | Jiji Koryo High reported the assault to the federation, was given a reprimand in March and did not initially publicize the incident. But emotional social media posts detailing the case went viral earlier this month, triggering an outpouring of anger against the school. Unsubstantiated information then swirled online about other instances of violence allegedly involving Koryo's baseball team. Hori, the school principal, warned Sunday that the posts "include pure speculation not based on facts, and slanders against unrelated students. "Some of our students have been vilified and chased after, on their way to and from school," he said, adding that even a bomb threat had been received.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
FSA eager to back regional bank realignment
Financial Services Agency Commissioner Yutaka Ito has expressed eagerness to support the realignment of regional banks to enhance financial services in Japan. "We will do our best to support consolidations and mergers if they contribute to the provision of high-quality regional financial services," Ito said in a recent interview. Ito, who took office in July, stressed that cooperation with nonfinancial businesses is also crucial for the management of regional lenders. "In order to make the management foundation sustainable, options such as reorganization, standardization of operations and collaboration with nonfinancial businesses should be considered," he said. Although financial institutions' profits are improving thanks to interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan, the environment surrounding such institutions "will change rapidly from now on," Ito said, claiming that they "need to make management decisions now." The FSA plans to draw up a program to strengthen regional financial capabilities by the end of this year, which will include the extension and expansion of the public fund injection system. Ito showed eagerness to establish a backup system to maintain financial functions in the event of natural disasters. He also expressed his intention to improve the subsidy system that can be used on the occasions of mergers and business integrations. Meanwhile, malicious fraudulent loans have been discovered at regional credit cooperative Iwaki Shinkumi Bank in Fukushima Prefecture where public funds were injected after the March 2011 major earthquake and tsunami. "We need to ensure appropriate business operations," Ito said. "At the minimum, we have to conduct business management and prevent fraudulent practices at institutions in which we have equity participation." In recent years, there have been a series of scandals in the financial industry, such as illicit automobile insurance claims and safe deposit box thefts. "If we take superficial measures, problems will arise again," Ito said, calling for reforms after finding out the root causes.
NHK
2 days ago
- NHK
Mudslide victim found without vital signs in southwestern Japan
One person has been found without vital signs near a house that collapsed in a mudslide following torrential rain in southwestern Japan. Police said the person, believed to be an adult woman, was found on Sunday morning. The collapsed house is in a mountainous area of Aira City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Bands of heavy rainclouds dumped record rain on the city and triggered a mudslide on Friday. Police and emergency authorities said four people lived in the house and two of them, an elderly woman and one of her daughters, were rescued. Authorities said the elderly father was also later confirmed to be safe but the other daughter in her 30s has been unaccounted for. Rescuers reportedly found the unconscious person near what is believed to be a shed on the house grounds. The police are trying to confirm the person's identity.
