OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
4:15 PM – Friday, December 26, 2025
A 38-year-old man was arrested on Friday after carrying out a stabbing and chemical attack at a Yokohama Rubber Company tire factory in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He stabbed eight people and also injured seven others by spraying or throwing a liquid believed to be bleach.
Police have since identified the suspect as Masaki Koyama, described by authorities as a 38-year-old unemployed man. He was arrested for attempted murder.
In the city of Mishima, 75 miles southwest of Tokyo, all victims were quickly transported to nearby hospitals as soon as paramedics arrived. Five of the stabbing victims are still believed to be in critical condition, officials announced.
Additionally, sources say that Koyama may have prior ties to the factory, though his exact motive remains unclear. He arrived at the scene wearing what appeared to be a gas mask and carrying a survival knife.
Yokohama Rubber Co. is a factory that mainly manufactures tires for trucks and businesses, according to its website. The company has factories worldwide, including 59 in Japan, 40 across Europe, and 23 in North America. More than 34,000 people work for Yokohama.
Japan has experienced several notable indiscriminate or mass knife attacks in recent years — such as the 2016 Sagamihara stabbings that killed 19 and injured 26 at a disability care home, the 2019 Kawasaki attack that left 2 dead and 18 injured, and the 2021 incidents on the Odakyu and Keio train lines that injured dozens.
This is a developing story. Updates may follow.
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