TOKYO: Tokyo police arrested a 36-year-old man on Saturday over a knife attack that took place on an Odakyu Line train in Tokyo the day before.

The investigation headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seijo police station arrested Yusuke Tsushima from the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

Tsushima has admitted to the charges, saying that he wanted to kill many people.

The investigation headquarters revised up the number of seriously or slightly injured victims from nine to 10 the same day. Of the victims, whose ages range from 20 to the 50s, four suffered stab wounds while six were injured after falling or being punched, it said.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder a 20-year-old female university student aboard the rapid express train operated by Odakyu Electric Railway Co., between Seijogakuen-mae Station and Soshigaya-Okura Station in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward.

“Since about six years ago, whenever I saw happy people, especially women, I began to feel I wanted to kill them,” Tsushima told investigators.

Tsushima boarded an Odakyu train on Friday evening with a chef’s knife, scissors, cooking oil and a lighter. He transferred to the rapid express train at Noborito Station and attacked the female university student and others. After moving to a different train car, he poured cooking oil on the floor and tried to set it on fire.

The suspect believed that passengers would not be able to get off the train during his attack as the rapid express service does not make many stops, investigators said.

After the attack, Tsushima is believed to have fled on a stolen bicycle. He was apprehended by MPD officers at a convenience store in Suginami Ward.

Tsushima was questioned by police at the Shinjuku police station earlier Friday for allegedly shoplifting at a grocery store in Shinjuku Ward.

Police are investigating the details of the incident.

JIJI Press