Sunshine City attacker stabbed victim over 10 times

Sources from the Japanese capital's Metropolitan Police Department said the attacker had been arrested for stalking the victim in December last year after their breakup.

According to the MPD, 21-year-old victim Moe Harukawa died after being attacked while working at the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo store in Sunshine City in the Higashi-ikebukuro district around 7:15 pm Thursday.

The attacker, Taiki Hirokawa, 26, then stabbed himself in the neck and died.

Investigative sources said that Harukawa's body had stab wounds mainly in the neck and arm and that her wound condition suggests she was stabbed more than 10 times.

Hirokawa is believed to have attacked her with what appeared to be a fruit knife.

Harukawa and Hirokawa met in December 2023 while working as part-timers at the same workplace in the Tokyo city of Hachioji and began dating in October the following year before breaking up in July 2025, police said.

On the morning of December 25, 2025, Harukawa reported to a police station that her former boyfriend was following her.

A police officer who accompanied her home found Hirokawa nearby and arrested him on suspicion of violating the antistalking law.

A fruit knife was found in a car Hirokawa parked nearby, and a video of Harukawa secretly filmed after their breakup was discovered on his seized smartphone.

He was served a fresh arrest warrant in January this year on suspicion of violating the firearms and swords control law and a law punishing the filming of sexual images.

He was issued a restraining order based on the antistalking law.

At the time, Hirokawa admitted to following the victim, saying he was considering suicide and that he wanted to get back together with the woman.

He also submitted a written statement pledging not to engage in stalking and is believed to have been living at his parents' home after being released following a summary indictment on Jan. 30.

The police evacuated the victim to a relative's home for about a month and installed a security camera at the victim's home, but Hirokawa was not seen in the footage.

After his release, the attacker contacted Harukawa more than once by March 12, but no problems were reported.