Some people just explode. While the motive remained unclear, Japanese media reported that the man had taken a huge dose of tranquillisers and was babbling incoherently. He had a history of psychological problems, they added. More recently, there has been a wave of incidents on Tokyo's crowded trains, including one in which a man was killed by a fellow passenger enraged at his request for people to step back so he could board. School attacks have also been increasing.
Experts blame a complex mix of factors for the rising number of crimes.
But the lion's share of the blame may lie with a breakdown of traditional values exacerbated by a decade of economic woes amid an increasingly fast-paced lifestyle. In addition, social mores that dictate suppressing the expression of negative emotions in order to maintain harmony leave many without a way of venting their feelings until it is far too late, sociologists say. The bad economy has made things worse for many people by putting obstacles in the way of their dreams. Japan's pressure-cooker educational system is also said to be a factor, which may explain why some incidents centre on schools. The man involved in the 1999 schoolyard stabbing, for example, reportedly had a grudge against the school system.