Osaka bookshop worker stabbed, suspect cites social grudge
SCMP · 3 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A stabbing at a well-known Maruzen & Junkudo bookshop in Osaka on Sunday left a male staff member in his 20s injured and sent to hospital after he was stabbed in the thigh near the first-floor checkout area. Police arrested a 33-year-old suspect, identified as Satoshi Okamoto, inside the store on suspicion of assault after officers found him sitting on the floor. According to police, the suspect admitted the attack and said he held a grudge against society as a whole. The victim was conscious when taken to hospital, and police said there was no fear for his life.
Key Points
- The attack happened at about 11am on Sunday at the MARUZEN & Junkudo Umeda store in Osaka’s Kita Ward, a popular large bookshop in the Umeda area.
- Police said the victim was a male employee in his 20s who suffered a bleeding injury to his left thigh and was taken to hospital conscious
- The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Satoshi Okamoto, a resident of Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Ward, and was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault.
- Investigators said the suspect and the employee did not know each other, and reports indicated there was no personal grudge between them.
- Police said the suspect approached the worker from behind near the first-floor cashier area, allegedly using a kitchen knife before remaining inside the shop.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers travelling to Japan, the case is a reminder that even in places widely seen as orderly and safe, random violence can still occur in busy commercial districts. The reported motive also points to the challenge authorities face in preventing attacks allegedly driven by broad social resentment rather than a personal dispute