Mishima Factory Attack: 14 Injured in Knife Assault at Japan Plant

A stabbing rampage at a factory in central Japan left at least 14 people injured on Friday, authorities confirmed. The incident happened at a Yokohama Rubber Co. facility in Mishima, a city situated west of Tokyo, where a man armed with a knife reportedly attacked several workers and also released an unknown liquid.

Emergency responders said they received a call shortly before 4:30 pm local time (0730 GMT), alerting them that "multiple employees had been stabbed" and that a "spray-type substance" was used during the assault. Several ambulances were dispatched to the plant as part of the emergency response.

Initial information indicated that six of the injured were transported to hospital. However, according to an update carried by Kyodo News, that number later increased to eight. Local broadcaster NHK added that all victims were conscious when rescuers arrived, though the full extent of their injuries has not yet been officially disclosed.

Police detained the alleged attacker on-site after he was subdued by those present at the time. Investigators are now working to determine what motivated the assault and whether the liquid sprayed poses any chemical danger.

The Mishima factory where the violence erupted manufactures tyres for buses and trucks, according to details published on the Yokohama Rubber Co. website. Emergency teams also cleared and secured the area while dealing with the effects of the unidentified substance.

Japan is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in the world, with extremely low rates of violent crime and some of the toughest firearm regulations. Nonetheless, rare cases of mass violence often make national headlines. The country continues to grapple with increased anxiety around public safety following the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a 2023 shooting-and-stabbing attack that resulted in four deaths.