Nine people were injured when a man rammed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street.
The man has been identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe, who drove the vehicle into Tekashita Street in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku. The street was closed to vehicular traffic as people gathered to celebrate New Year. The incident occurred 10 minutes past midnight.
The national broadcaster NHK reported that Kusakabe told police he was acting in “retribution for the death penalty”, however, it is not clear what his motives were. He was arrested for attempted murder.
One of the nine injured suffered serious wounds and had undergone surgery, according to the police.
Takeshita Street attracts tens of thousands of international tourists every day and is considered the centre of youth culture and fashion in Japan.
(With inputs from Agencies)
