A 25-year-old man described in one report as having “an interest in comic-book and video-game subculture” drove a truck into a crowd in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara district, then got out of the truck and randomly slashed and stabbed pedestrians, killing seven and injuring ten.  The attacks in the center of otaku culture, where stores selling electronics, anime, manga, toys, and other pop culture products are clustered, were preceded by a series of bulletin board postings from the killer’s cellphone, in which he described his movements toward the site of the killings in near real time. 

Tomohiro Kato, the disturbed young auto worker who carried out the attack, was arrested at the scene.  One of the injured was a police officer stabbed in the back as he tended to victims of the truck attack. 

A condolence stand at the scene of the killings has attracted numerous bouquets, as well as other offerings including manga.