A memorial service was held Thursday to mark the 22nd anniversary of a stabbing rampage at an elementary school in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, that left eight children dead.
Relatives, teachers and students attended the ceremony at Ikeda Elementary School to remember the tragedy and pledge to keep the school safe.
The eight -- seven girls in second grade and a boy in first grade -- were fatally stabbed, while 15 others, including two teachers, were injured on June 8, 2001, by Mamoru Takuma. He was sentenced to death in 2003 and executed in September 2004. At his trial, he said that he committed the crime because he wanted to be executed.
The rampage led many schools in Japan to step up security such as locking gates and installing surveillance cameras.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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Fighto!
Rest in Peace to the poor little children who were never given a chance in life. They would have all gone on to achieve, grow and enrich their families and the world in their own way.
Incredibly hard to argue against carrying out the ultimate punishment against the evil scum who was behind these heinous, cowardly attacks. He received far less punishment than he deserved.
obladi
Always make me grateful that the monsters can't easily get guns in Japan.
WA4TKG
May his soul rot in hell.
RIP little ones.
umbrella
I remember this shocking incident. Takuma was able to just simply walk into the school and begin executing the kids. No security at all.
RIP to these poor victims.
browny1
I remember the nightmarish tragedy beyond belief.
Unfortunately he stated one reason for his immoral act was he wanted to die - by death penalty.
He got what he wanted.
I wouldn't have given it to him.
Til death in custody - solitary custody.
Stephen Chin
Mamra Takuma is horrific, diabolic, evil, cursed, a true Son of Satan.
Yubaru
I remember this one, and one thing that stuck out is just how fast the sentence was carried out. Far too many spend literally decades on death row, but this one was done in lightening speed for Japan!
kaimycahl
@Fighto! I can't explain or think about exactly what this murderer deserved. What I do know is he got what he wanted and that wasn't fair. "Takuma was sentenced to death in 2003 and executed in September 2004. At his trial, he said that he committed the crime because he wanted to be executed. Perhaps the criminal justice system should have put him in a cell with the picture of the innocent lives he had taken to stare at every day and let him live his life out with out food and water until he just expired
Rest in Peace to the poor little children who were never given a chance in life. They would have all gone on to achieve, grow and enrich their families and the world in their own way.
*Incredibly hard to argue against carrying out the ultimate punishment against the evil scum who was behind these heinous, cowardly attacks. *He received far less punishment than he deserved.
Fighto!
The animal who murdered these innocent angels deserved a LOT more punishment - but I would be deleted for stating my ideas for that.
He was a despicable and evil individual. Starting with habitually setting animals on fire and torturing them as a child, the scum went on to rape women, cause deaths deliberately in traffic "accidents", viciously assault men and women, deliberately poison and hospitalise people - and that's just what we know.
It beggars belief that he was allowed to be free in society, able to get near these innocent kids.
Leo
Very beautiful tribute by the students and teacher.
itsonlyrocknroll
Eight children die in Osaka school stabbing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/09/japan.justinmccurry
It is important to at least comprehend such horror.
It worth not to lose sight of the circumstances, when one commemorates such heinous crimes
itsonlyrocknroll
Could this tragic loss of life have been prevented, if Mamoru Takuma had been incarcerated in a asylum for the mentally insane?
itsonlyrocknroll
What has been learnt?
TokyoLiving
Excellent, as it should be..
itsonlyrocknroll
Mamoru Takuma was diagnosed a schizophrenic with a history of violent outbursts.
Periodic unstable erratic outbursts of emotions, anger.
Yet Mamoru Takuma faced the death penalty.
I am not sure that is justice, more revenge for his heinous acts on that fateful day.
Lindsay
I remember this well. It happened two days after I arrived in Japan.
he said that he committed the crime because he wanted to be executed
The death penalty creates more murders than it prevents. Many murderers and mass-murderers in Japan have stated the same thing.