Fan Stabs Japanese Pop Star Dozens Of Times
A young Japanese pop star is in a critical condition after she was stabbed dozens of times by an obsessive fan for apparently refusing a gift.
Mayu Tomita, 20, was repeatedly knifed in the neck and chest as she waited to appear at a small concert venue in Koganei, Tokyo, according to local reports.
Tokyo police said a 27-year-old man, Tomohiro Iwazaki, was arrested at the scene by officers, who seized a blood-covered knife.
Sources quoted Iwazaki as saying he had stabbed the singer because she had returned a present he had sent her.
Prior to the attack on Saturday, she had reportedly complained to police that the suspect had been stalking her online.
Female Japanese pop stars often cultivate a girl-next-door image and appear at fan events as well as performing at smaller venues.
In 2014, two teenage members of Japanese girl group AKB48 were attacked by a man wielding a saw at one of the band's regular fan events.
