At least eight people were injured, one seriously, when a vehicle ploughed into crowds celebrating New Year’s Day in Tokyo early on Tuesday (Jan 1).

A police spokesman said the driver had been detained and national broadcaster NHK said the man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

He was identified as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, from Osaka, a major city about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, NHK said.

NHK said the suspect had initially described the incident as an “act of terror” but later said the attack was in retaliation for capital punishment.

The incident happened shortly after midnight local time on Monday in the popular tourist area of Harajuku, near Meiji Shrine, in central Tokyo.

“I can’t believe it, this is a place I’m familiar with, so it’s very shocking,” said Tatsuhiro Yaegashi, a 27-year-old worker in the area.

The street was closed to vehicles at the time of the incident to accommodate the large number of pedestrians making their way to the shrine for New Year’s prayers.

The suspect fled from the scene and assaulted a passerby before he was captured 20 minutes later, NHK said. About 20 litres of kerosene were found in the vehicle.

Tokyo Daily News

BDST: 1508 HRS, JAN 1, 2019
SI