Incident at Ginza Shopping Complex Leaves 20 Injured

On Monday, a luxury shopping complex in central Tokyo became the scene of a distressing incident, resulting in around 20 people sustaining injuries. This occurred after a man reportedly sprayed a substance inside the building, according to police and fire department officials.

Yusuke Koide, a Tokyo police spokesperson, informed the French news agency AFP that a man discharged a substance at an ATM on the ground floor of the complex. A fire department official noted that they received a report about a suspicious smell, leading to the injuries.

The incident took place at the Ginza 6 Shopping Center, situated in the upscale shopping district of Ginza. Authorities blocked the road in front of the mall, and fire trucks lined the street as part of the emergency response. Despite the situation, shoppers continued to access the building through side entrances.

An AFP reporter observed two people being transported on stretchers into an ambulance. Meanwhile, personnel dressed in hazmat suits escorted individuals from the mall into specialized trucks for examination. Public broadcaster NHK reported that the injuries appeared to be minor.

A 70-year-old woman at the scene recounted her experience to NHK. She mentioned feeling a stinging and hurting sensation in her throat as she approached the ATM, suspecting a minor fire at first. “Once I went into the ATM corner, my throat felt scratchy, almost numb,” she said.

Police are actively investigating the cause of the incident, as confirmed by a fire department officer present at the location.

Japan generally experiences low levels of violent crime, attributed to its stringent gun laws and low murder rate. However, incidents such as stabbing attacks do occur. Notably, in 2022, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated. His murderer received a life sentence in January this year.

In December of the previous year, another stabbing incident took place, injuring 14 people when an unknown liquid was sprayed in a central Japan factory.

Despite these isolated events, Japan remains haunted by a grave memory from the 1990s. In March 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo cult launched a major subway attack using toxic gas, resulting in 14 fatalities and over 5,800 illnesses. The attackers utilized sarin nerve agent bags, inflicting severe harm on morning commuters.