Panic in Tokyo: About 20 Hurt After Suspected Substance Sprayed in Ginza Shopping Complex

Panic broke out this morning (Monday) in central Tokyo after about 20 people were injured at an upscale shopping complex in the Ginza district, following an incident in which a man sprayed an unidentified substance inside the building. Authorities in Japan have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the event, and for now it appears that most of those affected suffered minor injuries.

According to a spokesperson for the Tokyo police, the incident took place near an ATM on the ground floor of the complex, where the suspect sprayed the substance. A local fire department official said rescue forces were called to the scene after a report of an unusual smell spreading through the area.

Following the incident, the street next to the shopping complex was closed to traffic, and many emergency vehicles, including fire trucks and ambulances, were dispatched to the scene. Despite the drama, shoppers continued entering and leaving the building through side entrances while rescue teams continued operating inside the complex.

An AFP news agency reporter who was at the scene said he saw two people being taken on stretchers to an ambulance, while emergency crews and officials wearing protective suits evacuated visitors from the building into designated vehicles for examination.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that the injuries sustained by those affected appeared to be minor. One visitor at the scene, a 70-year-old woman, said she felt a sharp burning sensation in her throat when she approached the ATM area: "When I arrived, the commotion had already started, and I thought maybe a small fire had broken out or something like that. The moment I entered the ATM area, my throat started itching, it almost felt numb."

Japanese police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident and the type of substance that was sprayed. Although violent crime is considered relatively rare in Japan, the country has experienced several unusual incidents over the years that shook the public.

Last December, 14 people were injured in a stabbing attack at a factory in the center of the country, during which a liquid whose identity was not disclosed was also sprayed. Earlier than that, in 2022, Japan was rocked by the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Still, one of the most traumatic events in the country’s history remains the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, when members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released deadly gas in train cars, killing 14 people and causing more than 5,800 others to fall ill.