A man who went on a stabbing rampage killing seven people in Japan has been executed.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported the government had “carried out the death sentence” of Tomohiro Kato, who ran a truck into a busy Tokyo shopping district before knifing his victims in 2008.
Kato had sent thousands of shoppers fleeing as he rammed the rented truck into a group of pedestrians along the main street of the capital’s Akihabara district.
The crime sent shockwaves through the country known for its peaceful way of life.
Kato was sentenced to death for the crime – and his execution was finalised by Japan’s Supreme Court in February 2015.
The top court had dismissed Kato’s appeal against a lower court sentence, describing his actions as “leaving no grounds for leniency”.
Flowers, and the traditional offering of food and drinks, were left in memory of the victims at the time of the tragedy
The suspect who told police he was “tired of life” said he had gone to Akihabara “to kill people” and he did not care who.
An early camera phone captures Tomohiro Kato being detained by a police officer
Along with the seven who were killed, at least 10 people were injured. One of them, was a traffic police officer who was helping the pedestrians run over by Kato’s truck.
The Akihabara district of Tokyo, was known as a centre for the manga comic and anime film subculture.
Laws on knife ownership were tightened up in Japan after Kato’s killing spree.