Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: IOF preventing ambulance crews from reaching injured in Khan Younis.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Strikes on northern Gaza have increased in intensity in past hours.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 22 martyrs in Gaza since morning.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: When our right to enrich is denied, this is an imposition of hegemony, and our policy rejects Western hegemony.
President al-Mashat: Our armed forces, represented by our air defenses, will soon turn the Zionist enemy’s aircraft into a subject of ridicule.
President al-Mashat: Good news about the Zionist enemy’s aircraft used in aggression against our country will reach you soon, God willing.
President al-Mashat: Our armed forces will be able to deal with hostile Zionist aircraft without causing any harm to air or maritime navigation.
President al-Mashat: To ensure the safety of airliners, they must avoid navigating along the routes used by the Zionist entity to carry out aggression against our country.
Yemeni President Mahdi al-Mashat: For the safety of air and maritime navigation in areas where our armed forces operate, we have directed that the routes used by the Zionist enemy to attack our country be designated as dangerous.
Hamas official says despite this, Hamas leadership is currently undertaking a thorough review of the new proposal

Car attack in Japan: Man rams into Osaka schoolchildren

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 1 May 2025 15:49
3 Min Read

A shocking car attack in Osaka left seven schoolchildren injured, as a Tokyo man reportedly confessed to attempting to kill out of despair, reviving fears about rare but deadly crimes in Japan.

Listen
  • x
  • Car attack in Japan: Man rams into Osaka schoolchildren
    First aid responders treat schoolchildren after being attacked by a car, May 1, 2025. (Social Media)

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Thursday in Osaka after ploughing his car into a group of schoolchildren in what local media described as a deliberate car attack, a rare but disturbing act of violence in Japan.

The incident took place as seven children were walking home from school. According to public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese outlets, all the children were injured and taken to the hospital. Authorities reported that all seven remained conscious and none were in life-threatening condition.

Although police have not confirmed details to international news agencies, NHK cited unidentified investigative sources stating that the suspect, who lives in Tokyo, admitted to driving the car with the intention to kill.

Reports indicate that the man told police he was "fed up with everything" and made the decision to ram his vehicle into the children to "kill someone." NHK noted that the man has been held by Osaka police on suspicion of attempted murder.

Witnesses told Nippon TV that the car was seen “zigzagging” before striking the children. “One girl was covered in blood, and other kids had what appeared to be scratches,” one bystander said. The suspect, who was reportedly wearing a surgical mask, looked “in shock” after being pulled out of the vehicle by nearby school staff.

Related News

Japan universities offer haven to foreign scholars amid US crackdown

Germany’s TKMS competes with Japan over $10bln Australian frigate

Violent crime in Japan

The scene quickly descended into chaos, with local teachers intervening to subdue the suspect. Eyewitnesses expressed horror at the sudden act of violence in what is typically one of the world’s safest countries.

Though violent crime in Japan is statistically rare, incidents like this have a deep societal impact and often revive national discussions around mental health and public safety.

This latest car incident echoes past tragedies, such as the 2008 Akihabara attack. In that case, attacker Tomohiro Kato rammed a rented truck into a crowd before going on a stabbing spree, killing seven. He was later executed in 2022.

Kato had expressed feelings of isolation and resentment prior to the attack, including online posts complaining of social rejection and job instability, factors that some experts cited as contributors to his violent outburst.

Japan, along with the United States, is one of the only G7 nations to retain the death penalty, with widespread public support. Shocking incidents such as Thursday’s attempted murder in Japan often renew debate about crime prevention, mental health services, and sentencing policies.

The Osaka police continue their investigation into the suspect’s motives and background, while the country reels from yet another reminder that even rare acts of violence can leave lasting scars.

Read more: Japan births fall to lowest in 125 years

  • Japan
  • car ramming
  • osaka

Most Read

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Iran advisor reveals details of US-Iran nuclear talks to Al Mayadeen

Iran advisor reveals details of US-Iran nuclear talks: Al Mayadeen

  • MENA
  • 24 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Doctors weigh a Palestinian baby at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic in Muwasi, near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (AP)
Health

US-Israeli Gaza aid plan is catastrophic, inhumane: MSF

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Latakia governorate on May 30, 2025 (Social media)
Politics

Israeli airstrikes hit military targets across western Syria

An Iranian security official in protective clothing walks through part of the Uranium Conversion Facility just outside the Iranian city of Isfahan, March 30, 2005. (AP)
Politics

US, E3 to push IAEA to declare Iran in breach of nuclear commitments

A Syrian soldier closes the gate of a military base on the outskirts of Harasta, near Damascus, Syria, Saturday, May 3, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Syrians expel Israeli patrol in Quneitra amid rising tensions

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS