Japan: Man arrested for stabbing 15 Yokohama Rubber factory employees in Shizuoka

Shizuoka [Japan], December 27 : Police on Saturday arrested one man in connection with a stabbing attack at the Mishima Plant of Yokohama Rubber Co. in central Japan, injuring a total of 15 employees, Kyodo News reported.

According to Kyodo News, the suspect was identified as 38-year-old Masaki Oyama, who had previously worked at the factory, a source familiar with the case said.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at around 4:30 pm (local time), when an emergency call reported multiple people stabbed and a liquid dispersed inside the facility.

Oyama, a resident of Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture, is currently unemployed, and authorities suspect he used a survival knife, suggesting a strong intent to kill, Kyodo News reported.

A total of 15 male employees, aged between their 20s and 50s, were injured in the attack and taken to the hospital, all conscious.

Eight sustained stab wounds, while the remaining seven were possibly harmed by the liquid, according to the fire department, Kyodo News reported.

Sources confirmed that Oyama had previously been employed at the Mishima factory and lived in a nearby employee dormitory.

Yokohama Rubber's Mishima Plant, which manufactures car tyres, employed approximately 980 people as of 2024. The factory is located approximately 1 km from the Mishima city office.

While Japan is known for its low levels of violent crime, reflected in a low homicide rate and strict firearms regulations, isolated incidents continue to occur.

Past cases include the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, as well as a shooting and stabbing spree in 2023 that left four people dead, including two police officers, for which a man was sentenced to death in October.

More recently, in May, a 43-year-old man was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack at Tokyo's Toda-mae metro station.

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