Pokémon Center employee killed in Tokyo after stabbing

2 hours ago 1

Published Mar 26, 2026, 1:41 PM EDT

The Pokémon Company says the store is closed indefinitely

A photo of the entrance to Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo

An employee at a Pokémon Center store in Tokyo was killed Thursday after being stabbed by a man who died by suicide, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The Pokémon Company has closed the location, Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in the Sunshine City shopping complex, until further notice.

According to the Associated Press, a man in his 20s wielding a knife stabbed a Pokémon Center employee, a woman also believed to be in her 20s, in the neck; he then stabbed himself. Both the victim and her assailant were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Reports say that the Pokémon Center was crowded at the time, and that police were called in response to a man wielding knives. A report from Asahi indicates that the victim had filed a complaint with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department over alleged stalking. The police had issued a restraining order, and had previously arrested the man on suspicion of violating Japan’s anti‑stalking laws.

After Thursday's attack, The Pokémon Company released a statement regarding the store's closure, which is machine translated below.

Due to the incident that occurred on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in Sunshine City, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, we will be temporarily closed until further notice, prioritizing our full cooperation with the police and the physical and mental well-being of our staff.

We sincerely apologize for the great concern and inconvenience this has caused everyone.

We will inform you again when we will be reopening for business.

Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo opened in Toshima City, Tokyo in 2014. The location is home to the Pikachu Sweets cafe, the Pokémon Go Lab store, and a Pokémon Card Game venue.

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