A Japanese man in his 20s who set fire on a train while dressed as the "Joker" sentenced to 23 years in prison

Arson and Knife Attack on Moving Subway Train

A Japanese court sentenced a defendant to 23 years in prison for arson and wielding a weapon on an express train operated in Tokyo, injuring more than 10 people.

At the time of the crime, Hattori was dressed exactly like the villain Joker, the popular character from DC Comics and live-action movies in the United States. Due to the Halloween custom of enjoying dressing up as characters from popular culture, no one found him suspicious.
[Photo by Twitter]

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 31st of last month, the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court ruled against defendant Kyota Hattori (服部恭太, 26), stating, "This was a heinous and despicable crime that indiscriminately targeted the lives of many passengers and attempted to burn passengers trapped in panic to death."

Hattori is accused of attacking a man in his 70s with a weapon and setting a fire on the Keio Line running through Chofu City on the night of Halloween, October 31, 2021. As a result of this crime, the stabbed man fell into critical condition, and 12 passengers, including those who inhaled toxic gas, were injured. The court pointed out, "It was a situation where it would not have been surprising if many casualties had occurred within a split second."

Among them, 10 people were actually in a "place with a risk of death," so charges of attempted murder and arson of a dwelling were established. However, the sentence was reduced by two years compared to the 25 years originally requested by the prosecution.

The Japanese court sentenced Kyota Hattori to 23 years in prison on Monday, July 31, 2023, for stabbing passengers with a weapon and setting fire on a Tokyo express train while dressed as the Joker during Halloween two years ago.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

According to the verdict, Hattori decided to commit suicide and kill multiple people after his partner got married.

At the time of the crime, Hattori was dressed exactly like the villain Joker, a popular character from DC Comics and live-action movies. Due to the Halloween culture of dressing up as characters from popular culture, no one found him suspicious.

During police questioning, Hattori reportedly stated, "I admired Joker because he calmly harms people." He also said, "I knew that killing two or more people would result in the death penalty, and I planned the crime wanting to become a death row inmate, but I am frustrated because it did not go as planned," shocking Japanese society.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.