4-1-2024 (TOKYO) Japanese authorities responded to a distress call today reporting a knife-wielding individual at Shibuya Station on the Toyoko Line. Swiftly arriving at the scene, a substantial contingent of police officers initiated a thorough investigation, with some equipped with shields as a precautionary measure. Following the incident, Tokyu Corporation, the operator of the Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Line, announced the temporary suspension of both lines.
Tokyu Railway reported that at approximately 10:55 am local time, they received a report of an individual wielding a knife at Shibuya Station. As a result, train services on the entire line, from Shibuya to Yokohama and Motomachi Chinatown, were temporarily halted. Services resumed after approximately one hour.
In a separate incident the previous night, a woman in her 20s was apprehended for allegedly assaulting fellow passengers on a train on Tokyo’s Yamanote loop line. The incident took place between JR Okachimachi and Akihabara stations on Wednesday night. Police stated that the assailant, unknown to her targets, used a blade to slash and stab passengers, causing injuries to four men’s sides, backs, and arms.
Passengers on the train acted swiftly, activating emergency buttons within the train and on the platform at Akihabara Station upon the train’s arrival at around 10:55 pm. A station employee promptly alerted the police. Passengers subdued the woman, who was then handed over to the authorities upon their arrival.
