Tomohiro Kato is taken for questioning Tuesday in this TV image.

More details emerge about suspect's mindset prior to Akihabara rampage

Tuesday 10th June, 02:12 PM JST

TOKYO —

Tomohiro Kato gave numerous indications about his troubled state of mind before going on a killing spree in Akihabara on Sunday, expressing rancor, rage and alienation on a cellphone website he apparently set up, police said Tuesday.

One of his entries in April said, ‘‘If I’m allowed to follow my desire, I’d slam a truck into pedestrians on a vehicle-free, busy shopping street though I will not do such a thing,’’ according to the police.

The Metropolitan Police Department intends to further investigate the entries on the website in order to find out the 25-year-old suspect’s motive behind the stabbing rampage that claimed the lives of seven people and left 10 injured.

The results of autopsies conducted on the seven people killed have revealed that four, including one woman, died of heavy blood loss from stab wounds while three, all men, were run down by the suspect in a vehicle, police said Tuesday.

Police believe that Kato, 25, intended to kill because all four stab victims were killed with just one stroke of a highly lethal weapon.

The Metropolitan Police Department sent Kato, an employee of a temporary staff agency, to prosecutors on charges of attempted murder over one of the 10 injured victims, a 24-year-old woman who was stabbed in the back and seriously hurt.

On Monday, the investigators raided Kato’s home and confiscated three empty boxes that apparently contained the knives he carried with him as well as another box for a bludgeon. No weapons were found there, according to the police.

Kato has already told investigators he sold his computer and computer games in Akihabara a day before the rampage. Consistent with his statement, the investigators found no computers at his home.

Those who died after being hit by the truck are Takahiro Kawaguchi, 19, a second-year student of Tokyo University of Information Sciences, Kazunori Fujino, 19, a second-year student at Tokyo Denki University, and Katsuhiko Nakamura, a 74-year-old retiree.

Fujino and Nakamura incurred extensive bruises and Kawaguchi had his skull cracked, according to the police.

Stabbed to death were Mitsuru Matsui, a 33-year-old cook, Kazuhiro Koiwa, a 47-year-old unemployed man, Mai Muto, 21, a fourth-year female student of Tokyo University of the Arts, and Naoki Miyamoto, a 31-year-old company employee.

Matsui and Muto were stabbed in the abdomen, Koiwa in the back and Miyamoto in the chest.

Meanwhile, Kato had given numerous indications about his troubled state of mind before going on the killing spree, expressing rancor, rage and alienation on a cell phone website he apparently set up.

One of his entries in April said, ‘‘If I was allowed to follow my desire, I’d slam a truck into pedestrians on a vehicle-free, busy shopping street though I will not do such a thing,’’ according to police.

Police said they intend to further investigate the entries on the website in order to find out the suspect’s motive behind the stabbing rampage.

One of the entries on the phone website said, ‘‘It’d be better if I killed them all.’’ In another passage, Kato said, ‘‘The Internet is my only refuge.’’ He repeatedly expressed a sense of loneliness and isolation on the site, according to the police.

In entries made between February and June, Kato said, ‘‘There are people brimming with confidence although they have no reasons to feel that way. Frankly, I feel like killing them.’’ He also wrote, ‘‘I’m in a mood to kill people regardless of who they are.’’

He also revealed himself to be deeply unhappy. One of the entries read, ‘‘I would be happy if I could die now and I feel like this very often.’’ Another stated, ‘‘A person who is criticized is at least recognized to be a person who exists but I’m just ignored because I’m so ugly.’‘

Kato also expressed his desire for a partner, which he apparently believed would never be fulfilled. ‘‘I’ve heard that you can only have a chance at having a romance until you’re 25 but I’ve passed that age. Admittedly, ugly guys do not have the right to enjoy any romance.

‘‘I could never have a girlfriend because I can’t control myself,’’ he said. ‘‘Happiness is a dream out of my reach.’‘

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 53 Total Comments Show All

romulus3 at 11:42 PM JST - 10th June

*On Monday, Fujino's 50-year-old father said: "I'm so, so upset. This happened so suddenly. All I can say is that I'm filled with anger and sorrow. It feels like I'm in a bad dream...My poor boy."

"Why did you have to die? I'm so sorry I was unable to protect you," Takeshi reportedly said. "I can't understand why my son had to be killed so brutally in broad daylight," *

brings tears to your eyes....
romulus3 at 11:45 PM JST - 10th June

According to the NPA, there were 67 multiple stabbing rampages between 1998 and 2007.
medievaltimes at 12:34 AM JST - 11th June

If this idiot felt miserable and wanted die, he should jump into a train tack or kill himself, not murder inocent people who probably had a life and were in a good way i their lives, it was unjust and egoist. I would like to be with him in a locked room for two or three hours to teach him the REAL MEANING OF PAIN.

First of all, Im not so sure he wanted to die. I think "making a statement to society" was his first priority.

Second, the whole "I would like to be in a locked room with him".....simply misses the point. 1. It accomplishes what he set out to do (get a reaction/revenge on society) 2. Its an emotion based knee jerk reaction (while understandable) that immediately sets aside any objectivity.
WilliB at 12:52 AM JST - 11th June

I am disturbed by the way the media now are turning the sicko into a celebrity now. They are having his cellphone comments over and over again, in dramatic tone by voice actors. So is is getting what he wants. He is famous now. And the victims are just dead. This will only encourage copycats. Stand by for the next knife rampage.
omarbabilon at 02:27 AM JST - 11th June

Maybe the only solution is...? What do you think is the right answer: 1.- Send all japanese people to a massive psyhchiatric session?. 2.- Censorship to sensationalist shows on TV?. 3.- Control over specialisated knife's stores (for hunting f.e.)?. 4.- Control and vigilance on web sites (to check new messages for new psychos?. 5.- Censorship on video games, anime, manga filled with violent contents, and shops, to know who buy this kind of stuff?. 6.- Start a quick mental illness campaign in all schools and working places?. 7.- Put more policemen in the streets?. 8.- Start a strong moral values campaign in television and all media?. 9.- Tell the people there are some people who is called "Therapist", "Psycholigist", "Psychiatrist" and that they can hear you, even help you, if you feel miserable. 10.- Tell to the ugly guys or women, there are a lots of ugly women and guys in Japan who would like to have a couple too, and they could match?.

If you choose one of these options you are wrong.

You should choose as correct all the options, because YOU ARE IN JAPAN.
KitsuneYoukai at 03:15 AM JST - 11th June

omarbabilon...I would have to say; support, support, support from people indicating to you that only because you are not top notch in all areas doesn't mean you are worthless or a loser.
Hawkeye at 04:16 AM JST - 11th June

Kato also expressed his desire for a partner, which he apparently believed would never be fulfilled. ‘‘I’ve heard that you can only have a chance at having a romance until you’re 25 but I’ve passed that age. Admittedly, ugly guys do not have the right to enjoy any romance.

This is so typical of the stupidity in Japan. I have been living and working on and off in Japan since 1981 and was always confounded by the idea held by my friends and work colleagues that once you hit 25-30 and are not engaged or married then you are lost soul and will never get hitched. When I met my wife I was 38 and she was a career woman and my Japanese friends told me that I was lucky to be able to find someone interested in me at my advanced age. This type of mentality breeds problems and loneliness and maybe mental illness due to brainwashing people into a mindset that their lives are going nowhere. Undoubtedly Tomohiro Kato is a nut job but there are a lot of sad lonely people walking the streets of Japan who need to know that their lives have meaning and there is love out there to be found.
DeepAir65 at 06:57 AM JST - 11th June

isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?

Ban car hire. Ban knives. Ban temp agencies. And do it NOW!

Just waiting for the typical knee jerk reaction
omarbabilon at 08:44 AM JST - 11th June

I am so sorry KITSUNE YOUKEI, but i never said anything about being a loser or not, so please red very well my post (it's written in english not in japanese), anyway maybe you understand better that kind of sick people, having in mind that you are japanese and probably have the same kind of low self-estime, moral weakness and frustration, anyway this society is ill, and the most amazing is the goverment and the people in general dont do anyhting to find a cure to this moral and psychic illness, meanwhile kids are getting freak with violent games and comics, without receiving emotional support and LOVE FROM THEIR PARENTS, meanwhile their daughters are selling their bodies in porn or prostitution only to buy an stupid brand bag, meanwhile people is getting more and more selfish and vain, meanwhile we get customised to close our eyes to someone who is lying in the street, or somebody punched by yakuza or thieves, meanwhile lawmakers want to raise taxes only to gain more money and live better than you or me, using our money, meanwhile police blame foreigners of 50% of all crimes in Japan. So please dont talk about "SUPPORT", pretending that anybody in your country cares, because here nobody call for help, because everybody knows, even you, that nobody will come to help. Its enough to hear japanese saying all the time, they are peace lovers and like harmony and all that big tattemae lie. Your country, your society is ill, so stop justifying and do something to change your country.
8iamhappy8 at 10:47 AM JST - 11th June

I'm past 25 but below 30 and have never had a girlfriend. My problem is that I've turned down 4 women so far who have expressed interest in me simply because I could not find anything to admire in these women. Does it mean that I'll be a loner for the rest of my life, since I'm past my 25 mark? Not a chance!
SpanishEyez37 at 02:44 PM JST - 11th June

Wow, so if the men think after age 30 you cant find a girl, what does it mean for the females then? I'm over 30 , so is my life over? Bummer...

Well in Japan, he definitely will not be getting any women in jail, despite his infamy. Like in the States where even serial killers and child killers can find love beyond a jail cell.
WilliB at 04:03 PM JST - 11th June

DeepAir69:

" sn't hindsight a wonderful thing? Ban car hire. Ban knives. Ban temp agencies. And do it NOW! Just waiting for the typical knee jerk reaction "

How about ban Akihabara? Would probably be the least bad choice :-)
rajakumar at 04:17 PM JST - 11th June

Tomohiro kato's stories, say many things, about why he wanted to kill and his frustrations. Think he was lost and confused about his life.

He linked his lack in social status to himself. He went on to further develop and aggravate, his inferiority complex, of himself.

Japan needs to promote more avenues for youths/people to boost their inferiority complex, via various projects, non-spiritual or spiritual.

They need come up with more safety nets of help for youths/people to help fight, the inferiority complex(low self esteem) issues in japan's westernised city society.

This city problem is a problem of apathy, in many high population, westernised city societies today. City needs to change, to be more kinder/greener place, to help society, make everybody a somebody. City bosses need to take care of people more and help, to up citizen's self esteem via various means/ways/ideas.
8iamhappy8 at 01:06 PM JST - 12th June

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Japan, everyone's supposedly 29. There's a stigma with turning 30... I think...
8iamhappy8 at 01:08 PM JST - 12th June

Oh, and I hear that marriage is an indication of success in Japan as well. ie. if you are not married by 30, you are not seen as successful.