4 reportedly injured in knife attack inside a train in Tokyo

TOKYO >> Police arrested a woman who wielded a knife and injured four passengers inside a train that stopped at Tokyo’s electronic town of Akihabara late Wednesday, Japanese media reported.

Police rushed to the scene after a report that a woman was brandishing a knife while the train stopped at the Akihabara station, where four people were injured and taken to a hospital, NHK public television reported.

Police arrested the attacker, identified only as a woman in her 20s, on suspicion of attempted murder, Kyodo News reported. It said at least three men who were stabbed were taken to hospitals.

No other details, including the condition of the injured and a motive for the attack, were available. Police declined to confirm the media reports.

Violent crimes are rare in Japan, which has strict gun control laws and only a handful of gun-related crimes annually. But in recent years, there have been several high-profile cases involving random knife attacks and arson on subways, and there is growing concern about homemade guns and explosives.

Akihabara is the site of a 2008 vehicle crash and stabbing rampage in which the attacker killed seven people and injured 10 others. He was sentenced to death and executed last year.

Train operators in major cities have been stepping up safety measures, including installing security cameras on train cars and conducting more frequent drills among station staff.