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Tokyo Pokémon Center employee, 21, stabbed to death by alleged stalker, 26, who was her ex-boyfriend
He reportedly said he wanted to get back together with her.
March 28, 2026, 06:58 PM
A 21-year-old employee at a Pokémon merchandise store in Tokyo was stabbed to death by her alleged former partner inside a crowded shopping complex in Ikebukuro on Thursday (Mar. 26) evening, in an attack that also left the suspect dead after he turned the knife on himself.
Stabbing incident
The incident took place at around 7pm at Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, located on the second floor of Sunshine City, a major commercial complex in the Japanese capital.
Police said the victim, identified as Moe Harukawa, suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck and other parts of her body. She was taken to hospital but later died.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Taiki Hirokawa, allegedly approached the counter where Harukawa was working before attacking her, according to The Japan Times.
Security camera footage later showed him moving behind the counter before carrying out the stabbing, reported The Asahi Shimbun.
He then slashed himself and was also pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.
Shoppers witnessed attack
A knife believed to have been used in the attack was recovered at the scene, with Japanese media saying its handle had been wrapped in a towel.
At the time, around 100 people were inside the store, including families with children and foreign tourists, triggering panic among shoppers.
The store remained closed on Friday following the incident.
Suspect previously arrested for stalking
Tokyo police said Hirokawa had previously been arrested after Harukawa reported being stalked by him late last year.
The pair are understood to have met while working together part-time in Hachioji, western Tokyo, in late 2023, and later entered a relationship that ended in July 2025.
In December that year, Harukawa sought help from police, saying Hirokawa had been following her after their breakup.
Officers escorting her home reportedly found him nearby and arrested him on suspicion of violating Japan’s anti-stalking law.
He reportedly told the police, as reported by The Yomiuri Shimbun: “I wanted to get back together with her. I regret what I did.”
A fruit knife with a blade length of about 10 centimetres was also found in a rental car linked to him, while police later said material filmed without Harukawa’s consent after their break-up had been discovered on his phone.
He was rearrested in January over additional allegations, including secretly filming her, before being issued a restraining order later that month.
Police advised her to relocate
According to Japanese reports, Harukawa stayed with relatives for about a month after the case was reported.
Police also advised her to consider changing jobs, as Hirokawa was believed to know where she worked.
However, she reportedly returned to the Pokémon store, saying it had been “her dream” to work there, according to The Japan Times.
The Metropolitan Police Department said officers checked in with her several times after Hirokawa’s release on Jan. 30, including regular phone calls through March.
Police said there had been no indication before Thursday’s (Mar. 26) attack that he was preparing to target her again.
“We believe we took the best possible measures available,” the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Top images via Google maps, Mori_misaki1/X
