On September 22, an anime music event in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, was interrupted by a violent attack that left a man in critical condition. Police have arrested Yoshida Tsukasa (吉田司), a 38-year-old resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, on suspicion of attempted murder. According to preliminary investigations, the suspect admitted to trying to kill the victim, a 30-year-old man who was stabbed in the chest and other parts of the body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0VKBAkPtsI

The incident occurred at around 1:20 p.m. during the outdoor anime music event “Nagano Aniera Festa (ナガノアニエラフェスタ)” at Komaba Park. The two men attended the event, although they had not previously known each other and attended separately. The police are investigating possible problems between the two, as there may have been some conflict or argument that led to the attack.

Witnesses and event staff described a chaotic scene. The attack happened near a merchandise sales area and the area was quickly covered with a white curtain as police and emergency crews arrived. Nearby attendees were instructed not to move until the situation was under control, while sirens were heard at the scene. The event was cancelled at approximately 2:45pm, following an official announcement informing participants of the incident.

This attack caused alarm and shock among anime fans and attendees of similar events. On social media and forums, comments reflect concern about the impact this type of incident could have on the safety of future anime events in Japan:

• «At least they arrested the attacker, but it's really scary to think that something like this could happen.».
• «Regulations on events likely to increase after this».
• «You never expect to be attacked with a knife when you go to a concert or event».
• «Aniera has become dangerous».
• «An otaku got stabbed? That's crazy».
• «Saku is a quiet area, what must have happened to make that happen?».
• «Even Nagano no longer seems like a safe place.».
• «This is the event they were promoting in MX, I don't understand why anyone would carry a knife».
• «After that, they will have to reinforce security controls at all events held in Japan.».
• «If events like this are cancelled in the future, that would be the worst… security will be tighter, that's for sure.».

Source: Otakomu

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