TOKYO
Nine people were injured -- one seriously -- in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in the early hours of Tuesday when a man rammed his car into pedestrians on a well-known shopping street in what he claimed was an act of terrorism, authorities said.
Police arrested Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, who was driving the rental car with an Osaka license plate, on suspicion of attempted murder.
Investigative sources quoted the man as saying he had perpetrated an act of terrorism "in retaliation for an execution" and "would not make any excuse" for his act. It was not immediately clear whether he was referring to a specific execution or Japan's system of capital punishment.
The incident took place on Takeshita Street in the Harajuku district close to Meiji Shrine. The street was closed to vehicular traffic at the time as it was expected to be crowded on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Eight people were hurt in the incident, including a teen who is in critical condition, the police said.
Another man was slightly injured after Kusakabe allegedly struck him after getting out of the car, the police said.
Meanwhile, about 120,000 revelers packed into Shibuya's famous scramble crossing but activities were tightly controlled by police and riot police. No major trouble had been reported as of 5 a.m. and most people had dispersed by then.
https://japantoday.com/category/cri...ians-in-Harajuku-in-retaliation-for-execution
Nine people were injured -- one seriously -- in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in the early hours of Tuesday when a man rammed his car into pedestrians on a well-known shopping street in what he claimed was an act of terrorism, authorities said.
Police arrested Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, who was driving the rental car with an Osaka license plate, on suspicion of attempted murder.
Investigative sources quoted the man as saying he had perpetrated an act of terrorism "in retaliation for an execution" and "would not make any excuse" for his act. It was not immediately clear whether he was referring to a specific execution or Japan's system of capital punishment.
The incident took place on Takeshita Street in the Harajuku district close to Meiji Shrine. The street was closed to vehicular traffic at the time as it was expected to be crowded on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Eight people were hurt in the incident, including a teen who is in critical condition, the police said.
Another man was slightly injured after Kusakabe allegedly struck him after getting out of the car, the police said.
Meanwhile, about 120,000 revelers packed into Shibuya's famous scramble crossing but activities were tightly controlled by police and riot police. No major trouble had been reported as of 5 a.m. and most people had dispersed by then.
https://japantoday.com/category/cri...ians-in-Harajuku-in-retaliation-for-execution
