On Tuesday morning, a woman in her 20s was stabbed to death near JR Takadanobaba Station in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward. When police arrived at the scene, they found her lying on the ground with stab wounds to her head, neck and chest. The victim was rushed to hospital in an unconscious state and was later confirmed dead. The victim has been identified as live streamer, Airi Sato. She was reportedly broadcasting content to approximately 6,500 viewers at the time of the attack.
People watching heard her scream, before the feed went silent. Distressing footage taken just after the stabbing has reportedly been shared online. It allegedly shows the suspect standing near the victim and saying “are you dead?” Many viewers initially thought it was staged before realizing the horrifying reality.
Suspect and Victim Reportedly Knew Each Other
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Kenichi Takano, 42, who was found with two knives in his possession. According to investigators, Sato and Takano became acquainted in 2021 through her video-sharing activity. Takano was quoted as saying, “There was trouble. I had lent her more than ¥2 million, but she did not return it.” A resident of Oyama city in Tochigi Prefecture, he traveled to Tokyo after Sato announced that she would broadcast a live video during a walk along the Yamanote Line. He then tracked her down by watching the live feed.
Takano admitted to the crime, but told officers that he didn’t intend to kill Sato. The police have since switched the charge to murder and are continuing to investigate the details of the incident.
“I heard screams and saw a woman collapsed on the ground, with her face covered in blood,” said a 31-year-old construction worker who witnessed the incident. He added, “A man nearby was holding something like a mobile phone that was hanging from her neck up to her face.”
