Japanese man gets death penalty for 2008 Tokyo rampage

The Tokyo District Court’s decision comes after Tomohiko Kato, 28, last year pleaded guilty to murdering seven people and injuring 10 others in a crime that shocked that nation.

The man behind a 2008 mass stabbing attack in Tokyo’s popular Akihabara electronics district has been sentenced to death.

The Tokyo District Court’s decision comes after Tomohiko Kato, 28, last year pleaded guilty to murdering seven people and injuring 10 others in a crime that shocked that nation. The former temporary factory worker slammed a truck into a crowd of people and then stabbed passers—by.

The court determined that Kato was mentally competent at the time. It rejected the defence’s request for leniency in sentencing, according to Kyodo news agency.

Akihabara is a popular shopping district known for electronics and Japanese pop culture.