Pokemon Center in Tokyo Closed Following Violent Crime on Site

3 hours ago 1

Published Mar 26, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT

Covering the video games industry since 2017, with experience in news, articles, lists, and reviews (and I blame The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for that).

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A tragic incident has shaken the Pokémon fan community on Thursday, March 26, 2026.

An employee at the Pokémon Center from Tokyo, located in the Sunshine City complex in Higashi-Ikebukuro, has died following a knife attack inside the store. The attacker also did not survive the encounter.

Police Investigation Underway at Sunshine City

Pokemon Center Murder Suicide Shocks Tokyo 2

According to reports from Japanese media outlets, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police received the first emergency calls around 7:15 PM local time, following reports of a man attacking an individual inside the establishment.

Witness reports state that the man entered the store armed with knives in both hands and went on a rampage, eventually stabbing a young female store employee in her 20s. Immediately following the attack, the man took his own life by cutting his throat.

When emergency services arrived at the scene, both individuals were unconscious due to their injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital. However, both were pronounced dead within an hour of arrival, according to police statements.

While the exact motive for the attack has not been officially confirmed, reports from the Asahi newspaper (via Reuters) indicate that the victim, a store clerk at the Pokémon Center, had previously filed complaints with the police regarding alleged stalking. This suggests the tragedy may have been a targeted attack by a stalker, though investigations are still ongoing to verify these claims.

An employee at the Pokémon Center from Tokyo, located in the Sunshine City complex in Higashi-Ikebukuro, has died following a knife attack inside the store.

Shortly after the incident, footage began circulating on social media from witnesses who were outside the store at the time of the attack. Some videos show customers and Pokémon Center staff seeking safety and alerting others in the vicinity, with nearby shops quickly closing their shutters as a protective measure. While others show the arrival of the ambulances at the building, which is located near Ikebukuro Station, ⁠one of the busiest train stations in Tokyo.

In an official statement on its website, the Pokémon Center team announced that the Tokyo location will remain closed indefinitely to help with the investigations and protect its employees. “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,” the statement reads.

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Release Date 1997 - 2023

Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

Directors Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano