A Pokemon Center employee has reportedly died after being attacked by an assailant while they were at work. The terrifying scene is said to have left customers at the Pokemon Center understandably terrified, with emergency services quickly inundated with calls for help.
Although violent crime is fairly uncommon in Japan, the gaming industry has unfortunately been hit by threats and actual violence in the past. For example, in 2024, Nintendo canceled an event after threats of violence against its staff and attendees, while individual developers have been verbally abused and received death threats in the past, to the point where developers have had to make official statements calling for an end to the harassment.
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Warning: Description of acts of violence follows.
Pokemon Center employee attacked and killed at work
In Japan on March 26, around 7 p.m., calls began pouring in to 110 (the Japanese equivalent of America's 911) reporting that a man with a knife was rampaging through a shopping mall in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan. While early reports made it sound like the attack spread throughout the mall, the crime did not actually break out outside the Pokemon Center. Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage indicate that a man who appeared to be in his 20s entered the Pokemon Center in the Sunshine City building while holding two knives. He apparently went straight to the counter, where a female employee, also reportedly in her 20s, was standing while he was doing his job. After reaching her, he allegedly stabbed her in the throat with one of the knives. After the attack on her, he turned one of the knives on himself. Both people were taken to hospital in critical condition, but neither survived the incident.
At this point, it is not clear what the motive was behind the attack and police have not released information on whether the two knew each other. At this point, the names or further information about who the people were have not been shared either. But despite the general panic that 911 calls indicated, the attacker reportedly made no moves on anyone else in or near the store, so it appears this was a deliberate, targeted attack. More information will likely be released in the coming days. Meanwhile, an official press release has been issued by the Ikebukuro Pokémon Center itself, noting that the store will be temporarily closed to not only facilitate the ongoing investigation, but to ensure the mental well-being of the employees. No date has been set for when the store will reopen, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for further updates.
One can imagine that this must have been an extremely terrifying experience for all involved. It is currently spring break for most students in Japan, so there is also a good chance that there were children in the store when the attack occurred. While the store will no doubt reopen as soon as it can, the impact of this experience may be lasting on those who were present at the time of the attack.
Although it is unlikely that the attack was triggered by anything to do with Pokémon in itself, it is unfortunately not the first time that violent crimes have broken out around the series. There have been several incidents Pokémon GO players get heated in Japan, leading to real attacks. Others have been threatened with violence during robberies Pokémon cards, which are often targeted because of their potentially high value. The violence has also not occurred in Japan, as this type of incident has been recorded in many countries. Thankfully, most of these incidents haven't gone beyond threats and minor injuries, but it's still upsetting to watch.
Source: NHK, Pokemon
