A man and a woman were stabbed to death in an apparent random attack on a busy Osaka street on Sunday afternoon.
According to police and witnesses, the attacks took place at around 1 p.m. in Higashi-Shinsaibashi in Osaka's Minami district. The two victims were a 42-year-old man from Tokyo and a woman in her 60s, police said.
Police said that a suspect, identified as 36-year-old Kyozo Isohi, was arrested at the scene and confessed to the attacks, TV Asahi reported. Isohi was quoted by police as saying that he didn't know the victims and chose them at random because he "wanted to kill someone."
Local media quoted witnesses as saying that Isohi stabbed the man first, then ran about 40 meters and stabbed the woman. He then ran back to the fallen man and stabbed him again, TV Asahi reported. Both victims were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead.
© Japan Today
96 Comments
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tsukki
Pure evil!
Vernie Jefferies
He ran back and attacked him again? R.I.P. to these victims in Osaka. A very sad day there today.
Thomas Anderson
What's wrong with these people... give them a life in prison.
StanTheMan
A tragic case.
RIP.
BurakuminDes
Rest in Peace to the poor victims. Literally dozens of people's lives are now wrecked by this evil isoki maggot's deeds. These random attacks are sadly becoming more common here. I really hope he is executed, he needs the ultimate punishment for the isoki scum's wilful actions.
Yubaru
Sounds to me like a case of a short drop and quick stop.
As much as I am against capital punishment, cases like this, unless there are extenuating psychological circumstances, deserve a final solution in a timely manner.
Give him his day in court, give him his opportunity, but let justice be swift and sure.
BurakuminDes
Agree 100% with you, Yubaru.
smithinjapan
Another one of these J-nutbags, and the usual lack of reason. Hope he thinks jail is more fun and less frustrating that real life, and hope he gets his fair share of suffering there and is forced to think about what he's done. There is no hell bad enough for people like this.
smithinjapan
Yubaru: "Give him his day in court, give him his opportunity, but let justice be swift and sure."
On the contrary -- scum like this have to at least KNOW the death penalty is a possibility when they commit said crimes, and I'm quite sure, given the suicide rate of this country, this is a kind of indirect way out for some. As such, I say let him rot for the rest of his life in prison, and make sure he can be accessed by the general population.
Thunderbird2
He wanted to kill someone? So he attacked two people just to see what it would be like?
I thought he was a teen out for kicks initially, but he's 36?! Sicko needs to fall down a flight of stairs before being locked away for a very long time.
bobubaka
A Japanese girl I dated was murdered by an American man who said the same thing, he just wanted to kill someone. Pretending this is a Japan only thing is silly and ignorant in the extreme.
To address capital punishment: The question is not if people like this have a right to live. They don't. The question is if anyone has a right to kill them. They don't. No one is in mortal danger now that they are apprehended. Killing people in cold blood is reprehensible no matter who does it. Let him rot in prison. I don't want blood on my hands.
timeon
two victims with intent to kill, that means rope in Japan. I can't help but speculating that the killer was too coward to off himself, or wanted to be more than a number in the 30,000 plus statistics.
Serrano
"he wanted to kill someone"
Well, he killed two people, he accomplished his objective twice over. Unfortunately he can be executed only once.
Serrano
And I don't want my tax money going to pay for Isoki's food, housing, clothing, medical care, etc for years on end.
SVTony
There is something wrong with our society if we kill someone to show that killing is bad.
scoobydoo
The guy was probably mentally disturbed and before the forum lynching mob gets too carried away with hanging him, it would be reasonable to believe this guy like so many others may have offended before and possibly like many others, instead of being looked after with the correct care, which is the moral obligation of us as a society, he may have been simply let go. There are many sick people who should not be left unattended or just let go in this country but the safety net for them (and the rest of us) has huge holes to fall though.
If this is an attitude that any one has, they should be very careful not to accept any help ever.
yasukuni
@scoobydoo. That's all very nice, but it doesn't help the two people who were killed and their families. And i doubt whether he has "offended" in this way before.
Not defending non-Japanese murderers, but it's scary the number of times you hear a Japanese person say that they just wanted to someone - anyone. Not revenge at a workplace or school or political statement, just killing people in the most random of places. In many countries you know the type of places and times of day to be careful, but here it can happen anytime, anywhere to anybody.
nath
Yet another Japanese nutter.
nath
On the news they said that he wanted to commit suicide but he was afraid to so he killed those people because he hopes the Justice System will give him the death penalty and fulfill his desire to die.
CrazyJoe
If you want to kill someone, stand in front of the mirror and kill yourself.
Kabukilover
This is too close. I was visiting Osaka and was in Shinsaibashi. I think it could have been me or mine. I grieve for the victims. They were only two people in that huge crowd that you find in Shinsaibashi on weekends. They didn't offend this guy. They were not in any way special. They did not expect to die today.
This is not, of course, a Japan only incident. But that said, there are a lot of very screwed up people walking and driving around in this country. Their presence is a daily happening. Perhaps one molecule in their brains prevents them from becoming like this guy.
Capital punishment is not deterrence when it come to guys like this. Deterrence presupposes a rational mind. This guy does not have that.
I want to know this monster's story. It is important to study him. It could prevent similar people from committing horrid crimes like this.
It could be that the presence of capital punishment actually encouraged this sick individual.
Serrano
To all those who gave me thumbs-down on my 8:59 post, could you please pay for this guy's food, housing, clothing, medical care, etc, so I and the other taxpayers don't have to? Thanks in advance.
JohhnyGlitterball
Execution will not bring back those poor victims. It is in fact barbaric and used as a form, or revenge by more backward legal systems. It has also been shown not to be a deterrent.
We need to look for justice and understanding or crimes to assist in prevention methods for the future.
WilliB
Patric Smash:
Evil enough for me. Society has a right and a duty to protect itself from homicidal nutters like that. Give him the rope and take him out of the gene pool asap.
I really not interested in hearing any heart-warming stories about this guys bad childhood or similar PC stuff.
lachatamber
I feel bad for the victims. the man was obviously mentally disturbed. I hope he is put away for a very long time.
Speed
I don't think capital punishment prevents crimes like these but it does wipe from the earth those who have taken others' lives which is fine with me. I have nothing against society taking out those that indiscriminately kill others.
The time for identification and rehabilitating people with mental illness has to come before the death of innocents. Afterwards, it's too late for the victims (and killer) and I'd like to see this murderer executed.
nisegaijin
I think Japan should ban knifes....
wontond
For everyone's sake, Japan needs to do more to help mentally unbalanced people.
Guza!
demonic possession??
warallthetime
They clearly need to ban knives in this country. If knives were illegal then this sort of thing would never happen! hahahahahahha
noirgaijin
I think it was best said by the Sherriff in the American western movie Silverado “We will provide you with a first class trial, followed with a first class hanging.”
REMzzz
Switchblades are limited to the length of 2.2", fixed blade knives can be longer, but i've read something not long ago about limiting the sales of double-edged knives... but then even a ball point pen can be used to cause significant injury...
Schopenhauer
Japanese society is getting like that of America where random shootings are not rare. It is a hate crime against the society where some people feel desperate.
nath
Banning weapons does not solve any problems. Helping those people who would use those weapons against others is the issue here.
kwatt
I might have to pay careful attention to people while walking on streets, otherwise random attacker might jump on me. Japan is now one of the most dangerous countries. Watch out!
yasukuni
In the time he took to stab one man, run over to another woman kill her, then go back to the other sit on top of him and stab him dozens of times (by the account of witnesses), wasn't there one man who thought of hitting him over the head with something - or doing something?
I don't blame women for running. But the guy on the ground was yelling out help repeatedly.
Then again, men and women are supposed to be just the same these days, so ...the day of the hero is over I suppose.
saru_au
need to get akb girls on the case ads like like : " want to kill others? try killing yourself instead ! ne"
Speed
I don't feel as if it's any safer being in a crowded place in Japan. I've seen and read about too many incidents of people just standing and staring no matter how much trouble victims have been in.
JohhnyGlitterball
Get on with your daily life folks, don't worry needlessly, it's all good.
Thomas Anderson
He has said that he did it because he thought he would be given the death penality (he tried to commit suicide with a knife but he couldn't).
See folks... this is why you DON'T have the death penalty. Give them life in prison instead.
Zen student
Japan does have many problems such as people who are mentally-ill and although I am not a sociologist I think that the pressures and fear of ostracism in this country for very small things (including even your sexuality) create an environment in which it is easy for anyone to 'crack'. The Japanese mental health system, which is just a joke compared to other advanced countries needs a serious overhaul.
Jimizo
@Schopenhauer As awful as this crime is, Japan has a long way to go before reaching anything like the crime rates of the US. Let's not start comparing Japan to Dodge City.
Yubaru
There was a time when every person who committed a crime was hung. That stopped most people from committing any crime, because they knew what awaited them if they were caught and convicted.
Society decided to become compassionate and eliminate the death penalty and crime increased dramatically. Go figure huh?
I am generally of the opinion that making a person rot in the deepest caves on earth, never seeing sunlight, and never feeling the warmth of human companionship, for the rest of their natural lives, is more appropriate punishment for a murderer.
However in this case what this guy did affects society as a whole. People fear walking the streets, people become less friendly, less outgoing, and turn inside themselves afraid to interact with people. That in my opinion is just as bad as the crime he committed.
People, right or wrong, need to know that this animal was disposed of and can not affect anyone ever again. We kill animal's who attack humans, and this guy is the same.
Moderator
Readers, comparisons to other countries are not relevant to this discussion.
Liberty Joe Lowe
The victims were unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, it could have happened anywhere. I feel sorry for them and their families. For that to happen at 1pm in a busy street the victims would not be aware of any danger.
Random attacks that happen during the day like this are difficult to avoid and defend against as your guard is down.
R.I.P
Manuel D. Valencia III
I'm usually there on the weekends, but I'm glad that I didn't have to go there on that day.
OMGhontoni
Zen Student - I think kwatt was being sarcastic actually and having a dig at people who would say things like that!
I dont think Japan is necessarily any better or worse than anywhere else in the world in terms of crime, but I do think the support for mental illness is very lacking. But even if they did provide the very best of care and treatment, they still have to remove the stigma of even admitting there is a problem in the first place and going for help. Unfortunately as has been seen many times over, you can deny deny deny there is a problem, but it has to come out, and one way or another it will, sometimes with tragic consequences.
NetNinja
He's not an animal Yubaru. He's a dysfunctional human being that has been made in the same image as you. He looks like you. His hair is black like yours and he speaks the same language as you. He's Japanese probably just like you.
Remember these are your people and thus they are family to you as this is a very homogeneous society with a high probability of unintended incest (No medical checks here). So you could be talking about killing someone you know. This man could be family to you.
I'd like to encourage you to seek understanding and offer the hand of mercy to someone who could be your own blood.
You're right about one thing. This incident does affect society. Therefore it's a family problem.
Thomas Anderson
Yubaru
There is absolutely no evidence that the death penalty deters crime. I'm not sure how you can prove that 100+ years ago crime was basically non-existent. In fact I'm pretty sure there were 10 times more crime 100+ years ago than today. There was a time when criminals were brutally tortured and executed but people were still killing each other all the time.
Actually we live in one of the most peaceful times. There is less killing than ever today than in the past. Sounds like you're just glorifying the past to me.
Scandinavian countries have one of the least harsh criminals laws (they have eliminated the death penalty obviously) yet they also have one of the lowest crime rates, maybe even lower than Japan.
Thomas Anderson
Sounds like the suspect wanted to be given the DEATH PENALTY. Sad.
Vesperto
I agree 100% with bobubaka:
For those who are worried about tax payers' money: i'm sure there's heavy work to be done, like paving highways and cleaning up forests (the JDF can patrol a perimeter and shoot on sight).
Scrote
He said he wants the death penalty, so the best punishment is life in prison without parole. Let him rot in jail for the rest of his life, rather than giving him what he wants.
Dennis Bauer
@Thomas Anderson
So if there is no Death penalty, such a nutter would keep on killing until the police would put him down? Maybe if the culture would change that talking about your (mental) problems with someone is ok , instead of "take it like a man" this kind of occurences would be less
moonknightskye
i watched this news this morning and apparently, he wanted to die thru death penalty and he thinks that the only way to get it is by to kill someone... really sick in the head
Suginamiguy
He stabs a man, runs off to stab another person, then comes back and stabs the first guy again. I'm pretty certain he'll be hanged for this. Coming back to stab the person again is pretty much a statement of intent to kill, which is something the Japanese courts look for when the death penalty can be used as a punishment.
kwatt
As far as I know, I've heard TV news many times in the past about random attackers stabbed passers-by on streets. This really reminds me of the random attacker in Akihabara some years ago. He hit some passers-by by truck and then stabbed 5-6 with his sharp knife in the middle of street right after the hit run. Because he lost job and wanted death penalty by the law. I've also heard that random attackers(rapists) raped women/girls and finally strangulated/stabbed them in dark streets. This kind of crime happens very often. That's why Japan is a very dangerous country.
Thomas Anderson
Dennis Bauer
Uh, what? If there was no death penalty, then maybe he would have not done it in the first place. It's hard to say, if not impossible to say what would have happened, but it's pretty clear that the death penalty is no deterrence against crime.
So let me get this straight, this man has admitted himself that he killed people only because he thought he would be given the death penalty. Basically he wanted to commit suicide, but he couldn't. And yet people are still calling for death penalty and thumbing down those who are against it? Logic, anyone?
Thomas Anderson
Do you actually think that this guy, who wanted to commit suicide, wants to live his life in prison? I don't think so...
Carcharodon
More info: He didn't just stab the victims, slashed their throats - resulting in massive rapid blood loss, the video footage on TV of the crime scene can attest to that. Just horrible. Reminds of the executed killer Mamoru Takuma - the Ikeda school killer, who also wanted to die, but took out some innocents so he could get the death penalty instead. Shame there was no one present who could incapacitate the guy before the second victim,
pointofview
Onlookers couldn`t find anything to smash this guy with?
WilliB
Pointofview:
...and how do you come up with a serious weapon at a seconds notice when suddenly a knife wielding maniac appears out of nowhere? Life isn´t a movie.
OMGhontoni
@kwatt:
Ah, ok, my mistake. I thought you were just being sarcastic in your first post!
I feel so sorry for the crowds who must have witnessed this. What a horrible, traumatic thing to have had to see. Is there any news on the victims? I am guessing the 42 year old was maybe a husband and father of young children? Perhaps the woman in her 60s was a Mother and Grandmother? How awful for the families that their loved ones were cut down so randomly and viciously like this.
WilliB
Patrick Smash:
And I point out that my method makes 100% sure that this nutter does not have a chance to kill more people. Your method does not. Case closed.
scoobydoo
And what else don't you want to pay for? roads that you don't drive on, the hospital you never visited, the cancer treatment you never needed, the power poles not directly connected to your house, the neighbors garbage because its more than yours?
That attitude is false economy and further more its selfish and unsocial.
The care that this guy needed would have been far cheaper than the cost to society for the death of two people plus the other crimes he had committed previously (He had been recently released from jail according to other reports). People who think this way have put a very small price on the lives of these two people especially considering the tax rates in Japan which are very small in reality.
I am not an advocate of absolving his crime because the court does that for %85 of mentally disturbed offenders which allows them to go free and re-offend murder on average 9 times in this country. Yep that's right basically they just end up letting them go because they are "crazy" and have no other way to deal with them.
Thomas Anderson
WilliB
This guy has killed BECAUSE there is death penalty in the first place! Ugh... circular logic. Your method has caused him to kill people 100%. We have no way of knowing what WOULD have happened, but we are 100% sure that he has killed people because he thought he would be given the death penalty.
Yubaru
You assume that because he committed a murder that he is dysfunctional? I suppose that anyone could try to make that assumption based upon his actions and what he told the police afterwards. However I won't agree with you until there is an a psychiatric evaluation done. There are plenty of so called normal people who commit abnormal crimes.
He does not look like me, nor is my hair black, and while we may speak the same language, odds ore he doesnt speak English, and I am not Japanese, even if you were figuratively speaking of course.
Yubaru
Your compassion is quite understandable, you ask me to show mercy? Where was his mercy when he indiscriminately killed two innocent people just because he wanted to see someone die?
On general principle I am against capital punishment, I don't believe that people like this, who, no matter what you may say, act like an animal committing a violent act with no thought to the victim, deserve a punishment that they are no longer a threat, in any way shape or form, to society.
There are only two choices as I see it, death, or take them totally away from human contact because even in prison there is a society of people that he could be a threat to.
Oh his isnt my blood either, but that shouldnt matter anyway as we are all supposed to be human beings even though his actions speak otherwise.
bajhista65
Reminded me of the similar case in Akihabara Tokyo. Reading the exchanges of postings above makes me wonder if he will be given a death sentence relieving Kyozo Isohi of killing himself. Hehehehe It seemed Isohi is not mentally sick cuz He just wanted the JGov justice department to do his suicide for him and be the talk of the town and medias. hehehehe
smithinjapan
Matthew: "On the news they said that he wanted to commit suicide but he was afraid to so he killed those people because he hopes the Justice System will give him the death penalty and fulfill his desire to die."
Boom! Exactly what I predicted his reasoning was, and why I said earlier that he should rot in prison and suffer for life instead of being granted a favour.
Serrano: I didn't give you a thumbs down for your comment, but my guess is you got them by people who are opposed to the death penalty because you were extremely quick to wish someone's murder (by death penalty). Death penalty costs tax money too, you know -- or do you think people don't cost anything for the years they serve on death row?
warallthetime: "They clearly need to ban knives in this country. If knives were illegal then this sort of thing would never happen! hahahahahahha"
So you laugh about this? Knives serve a purpose other than killing, my friend, so despite your efforts to distract from all the US gun massacres by laughing at the deaths of these people, how about you try eating dinner tonight and cutting up your steak or what have you with a pistol. Or better yet, if you're a healthy eater, when trying to dice those carrots and cucumbers with your desert eagle, come on back and tell us how it went.
Dennis Bauer
@Thomas Anderson
Even if there was no Death sentence this guy would have probably done it anyway (i think) if he realy wanted to die, then why didn't he attack the police? They would have shot him if he kept on trying to attack them.
multitasker
... and a bunch of people watched it all with their mouths open while they held their smartphones in their hands!
nath
Will you please notice that no matter how outraged you are about these killings; the killer is still alive and the victims have escaped their bodies. Will no one see the truth of these events? Tomorrow or the next day something horribly similar will happen. What is the reason for these events? See what the result is and you know what the reason was. The killer will not be tortured, but treated according to Japanese law; the victims will remain dead. I don't mean what was the reason in the mind of the killer, but what was the reason in the universal justice sense. Ask why were these two particular victims selected by him....or were they selected by someone else? Remember, as horrible as this is, these people died much quicker and less painful deaths than most people, who have long and painful suffering with many diseases. His reason for killing them was not to prevent a more suffering death, but it must have been someone else's reason.
fds
clean the gene pool...execute him
Jimizo
@fds I don't think the relationships he'll have in jail will allow him to pass on his genes. So by committing murder he can get the state to carry out his wishes. Hardly fitting, is it?
Sasoriza
The killer has just been released last month from Niigata prison , where he served time for violation of the law against drugs(not saying what violation in particular).He said he had nowhere to go, no work and no money(they say he had in his posession 200,000 yen at the moment). I suspect there's more to this, because people have tried longer periods to look for job, and lived on less money.
But the most shocking for me was the fact that there were so many men around, and no one even tried to stop him. They just listened to the screams " Help me, help me!" I hope these screams haunt them till the rest of their moserable lives!!! "What can you do against knife wielding mainac?" Many things!! Throw things-heavy things around you - at him. I would throw my iPhone-it is not more expensive than a human life. Jump on his back from behind, hit him with your bag, with anything , swear at him as dirty as you can-this will distract him from his victim and give everyone time to do something.
But no-not in Japan, not the "shiji-machi nihonjin" who always think it is not their job to do and will wait for someone in charge, a specialist. They don't know, they never know what to do.I felt sick reading the interviews with those young men-32, 36, who just "froze of fear", or ran, while the killer was busy slashing one of them. Men...only by DNA, obviously!
Utrack
He wanted to kill himself, that there says he has some serious problems. Then to be loser enough to randomly go psycho Norman Bates style in the street just because he wants to die ? Oh but is to scared to do it. I'm like dang he could have just O.D. on like sleeping pills or prozac or something if that is the case. Why murder someone because he wanted to die, it does not make sense.
tmarie
Yep, such a safe country... I am fully expecting a knife ban now...
kwatt
I think that death penalty is still a very effective deterrence for most of people attempting to murder someone but insane ones really don't care about it. That is a real problem. There seems to be not much they can do.
Thomas Anderson
It's ridiculous that people apparently just stood there and took photographs with their smartphones.
Thomas Anderson
Dennis Bauer
There's no way of knowing what he would of have done, but we're 100% certain that he did it because he thought that he would be given the death penalty.
Thomas Anderson
Yubaru
Correction: He wanted to be given the death penalty.
basroil
"busy osaka street"--- really? It seems like there were just three people there, the two victims and the attacker. What were bystanders doing? Just ignoring it? Something is seriously wrong when nobody knows how to stop a guy with a single knife, nor how to protect victims after an attack.
Kiskipuich Vilaboa
Omg disturbing And what about the people who witness this? Maybe they took a video and put it on you tube Or maybe text their friends about this instead of kick his ass or something !
jigjapan
strange....hen desu ne...more and more strange crime happening their...like what did happen in Tokyo 3 years ago...numerous isolated cases of crime...I think the society their now a days having an ill condition ever since I left.
Brian Wheway
why dont they hang him if hes guilty? why take up a prison cell?
morriconelover
Sad case. Has nothing to do with evil. The man was a mentally sick bomb just waiting to explode. And yeah, after studying about Japanese society, its clear that there are problems in the country that needs to be addressed. But look also around the world, and there are loads of examples of mentally unstable people that commit murders. Just this year i have read of similar cases from the US, Finland, and Denmark. Don´t forget that some weeks ago in Italy there was the retired guy who planted a bomb outside a school and killed a teenage girl. These things are not just a "japanese" thing, although there may be more ticking bombs in Japan.
Patrick Hagger
wrong place wrong time in the presence of an idiot
yasukuni
I don't know of another country where people kill random strangers, give up without a struggle, and say they wanted to kill anyone so they could go to prison/get the death sentence.
Is there? Is this a uniquely Japanese thing?
Moderator
Readers, other countries are not relevant to this discussion.
Yubaru
In effect what this guy has done is commit suicide at a date to be determined later.
flammenwerfer
Give this creature hard labour for the rest of his life. Chain gangs, work crews, prison farms - bring back hard labour. Dont kill these worthless scrotes, make them pay for what they have done, Death is free ticket, it is not paying.
HonestDictator
This man wasn't really as insane as people would like to say, he targeted the weakest looking people to kill. Even the people that kill in the US usually have a REASON like drug influence, anger, jealousy, or being rubbed the wrong way. This guy just wanted to "know what its like" as if its some kind of test drive for a new car, or listening to a soundsystem just to see what its like. Most of the criminally insane murderers are in their own world and even they have their own twisted reasons besides "just wondering what it feels like".
nath
Who just "wants" to kill someone? There's something mentally unstable about a lot of Japanese people. Something isn't go right at home, or just far too introverted. Things like this "just" don't happen.