A woman was stabbed by another woman in a park in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward on Monday night, police said. A passerby managed to subdue the attacker until police arrived.
According to police, the 35-year-old victim was walking through Otsuka Park on her way home from work at around 9 p.m. when a woman approached her from behind and stabbed her several times in the back with a fruit knife. A man, who saw the incident, held the attacker until police arrived.
The suspect, identified as Eiko Kotama, was quoted by police as saying, "I didn't care who, I just wanted to stab someone in the back."
The victim was taken to hospital and is a stable condition, police said Tuesday.
© News reports
39 Comments
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my2sense
“I didn’t care who, I just wanted to stab someone in the back.”.... That is mad nuts. I am kinda wondering how old she is, the perp.... Bravo to the guy who helped. Enjoy the fish heads and rice.
nath
Perp was out looking for her next living quarters; a very small room, with no furniture...
n3312
Kudos to the man who intervened. The quote from the stabber is scary though. Makes me think thrice of passing through the fields on my bike at night.
goddog
Another wacko case
timorborder
Another wacko case
Very sad, but very true. What is it with such people? You had the chap down in Akihabara, the chap at the train station a couple of years ago. I just cannot get my head around this whole issue.
JA_Cruise
always good to keep an extra eye on your surroundings... i think Japanese people are the worst at this as they never make eye contact with others and usually keep their head down when they walk.. not to say this would have saved her even if she had, but think would help in other incidences.
nedinjapan
Someone flipped her but she is such a coward not to take on that person, and instead find an innocent passerby at a dark corner in a park. Cowardness has no limits!
Namaman
After hearing screaming and racing outside, my wife and I were the 3rd people on the scene. The knife lay on the ground, another woman was helping the victim (who was screaming a lot), and our next door neighbor had the attacker (a small woman) cornered by his garage. The victim was actually an old friend of my wife's that lived 4 houses down the street. She was bleeding quite a lot from her face, and leaving red puddles in the rain. The police arrived about 4 mins later.
Jbizzle
Ja cruise: you are absolutely correct. Japanese simply don't pay any attention when walking around. My girl is amazed at how aware I am of my surroundings. I tell her when walking around I always look at each and every person for at least a split second to identify any possible danger. I guess it's a habit I picked up growing up in Los Angeles. I think if people were more vigilant here, there would be less random attacks.
bentheredonthat
@namaman
she was bleeding from the face? the report said she was stabbed in the back.
but obviously the perpetrator was only seeking attention because no one would seriously try to kill someone with a fruit knife. let's hope she gets some psychiatric care.
bobbafett
me too. picked up the habit real young too and its saved me many a time.
dolphingirl
Namaman: You're kidding?! Holy crap! Good on your neighbour!
'I just wanted to stab someone in the back'--An interesting metaphorical meaning there. I wonder if this was really random, though. There could be more to this story...or she is one disturbed lady.
dolphingirl
stabby summer?
Jbizzle
Namaman: pretty crazy man.
I wish I could catch these cowards on the scene like that. I would love to tackle one at full speed and break a couple of bones or something.
cadmium
Dirty rotten backstabber!
kazan
You have to wonder what the motivation behind this was. There's obviously some underlying issue as people don't just randomly stab people.
FightingViking
The problem in Japan is very simple: People needing psychiatic help are very rarely - if ever - hospitalized. It's just "not done" here...
LoveUSA
stabbing somebody in the back is the most cowardly and crazy thing. Deserves life in prison.
timorborder
but obviously the perpetrator was only seeking attention because no one would seriously try to kill someone with a fruit knife. let's hope she gets some psychiatric care.
That's a fallacy, its the execution not the weapon. Ever seen somebody done up with a credit card?
Namaman
Yeah, she was bleeding from the face quit a lot. I read in one report that the attacker had been dumped by a guy, and wanted some kind of random revenge. When I saw her she was actually quite sad looking, held up against the garage door looking quite ferlorn. I was quite surprised when I realized that she was the attacker.
betterdays
NO BACKSTABBING PLEASE!!
fishy
sankei news said that the woman (27 years old) just got dumped by a guy and had a broken heart, felt frustrated and wanted to hurt anybody, didnt care who, just anybody. and yes, she slashed the victim's face, too.
seaforte03
Crazy lady - but you're right - japanese don't like to institutionalize their family members cuz it will show up on their family registry tree (insanity) making it difficult for later or other generations to get married (for those that use the family registries for ancestry/spouse profiling).
And it's pointless to beat up a crazy person - they're nuts - they can't comprehend the beating and it just gives the police more paperwork to fill out.
netrek
What a lunatic! She wanted to stab any random person!? Why is this woman out on in society? Lock her up for life! What a horrible person.
Molenir
Should have gone and stabbed the guy who broke up with her if it was that important, why bring a random, innocent stranger into the picture. Or better yet, seek counseling. Very sad.
Molenir
Mind linking to that? I looked but couldn't find the article.
fishy
Molenir - here's the link. it's all in japanese, though. http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/100413/crm1004130033000-n1.htm
URO
What's going wrong with people in this world? Guys, stabing someone in the back is not such a good idea, why don't you simply try to throw tomatoes at someone you absolutely want to hurt! It's much more funny man !
Midnightpromise
This is eactly why I avoid going anywhere near random in the park.
my2sense
The Japanese do not take rejection very good. Whether its a job loss, bullying or getting canned by your lover.... Kinda shocked she didnt take her own life like thousands of others.
dolphingirl
People in general don't take rejection very well. (Of course some handle it better than others) But if that person already has a few screws lose, that rejection and humiliation can send them over the edge.
BBLeo
My complimets to passerby, he should be awarded for his action.
jj1980
@BBLeo Exactly! But the thing that gets me.... A regular Joe walking down the street can apprehend this crazy woman with a knife. while we have NOT one, but TWO police officers who are almost stabbed to death in Sasebo!
crazychibi17
Wow. That woman is psychotic. They should reward that man for staying with this psycho long enough for the police to get there.
SpanishEyez37
Maybe this is WHY she got dumped. She sounds like she was one beer short of a six-pack.
I feel sorry this poor woman got stabbed and caught up in this sick woman's drama.
perspective
Looks like the boyfriend made the right call.
perspective
Now everyone will talk about how distraught she was, and because she's a woman, she'll be allowed to apologize, pay some money, and go free. Perhaps to stab someone else in the future.
Elbuda Mexicano
Horrible! I feel so sorry for the victim and I pray this idiot, nut case crazy woman gets thrown in jail, or the psycho ward for the rest of her miserable life! She does not BELONG out in regular SOCIETY!
Youdontknow
I can't help but wonder if she heard the phrase "To stab someone in the back." and took it at its literal meaning? :-/ Glad the woman she stabbed is okay though. Her attacker needs locking up for the rest of her life!!