THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 16, 2026 at 17:28 JST
The street facing the building entrance where a 17-year-old was stabbed to death and two more were injured in Osaka's Chuo Ward. This photo was taken early on Feb. 15. (Rikuri Kuroda)
OSAKA—A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of killing a 17-year-old boy and gravely injuring two other boys of the same age in the Dotonbori district of Osaka's Chuo Ward.
Prefectural police identified the suspect as Ryoga Iwasaki, an unemployed man from Osaka's Sumiyoshi Ward.
Iwasaki allegedly stabbed Ryunosuke Kamata, a company employee from Tawaramoto, Nara Prefecture, several times near the entrance of a building in the Minami entertainment area around 11:55 p.m. on Feb. 14.
Police received an emergency call shortly after midnight.
Kamata sustained fatal wounds to the chest and other areas. Investigative sources said that Kamata's deep neck wounds suggest that Iwasaki had a strong intent to kill.
Police quoted Iwasaki as saying during questioning: “I had no intent to kill. I initially intended to threaten him with the knife, but I stabbed the man in the chest area as he came at me.”
Both surviving 17-year-olds were stabbed in the upper body. One is unconscious and in critical condition while the other was seriously injured.
Seven or eight men and women were reportedly present at the time of the attack. Witness accounts and surveillance camera footage pointed authorities to Iwasaki as a suspect despite the assailant fleeing the scene.
Investigative sources said Iwasaki had been harassing a woman at the site and the youths stepped in to confront him just before the incident. Based on eyewitness accounts and statements from those present, police surmise the suspect pulled out a knife and attacked the three in response.
Investigators caught up with Iwasaki about 1.5 kilometers from the crime scene while he was walking along a street in Naniwa Ward on the morning of Feb. 15.
Police arrested Iwasaki after the suspect admitted to his involvement and found him in possession of the knife that was apparently used in the crime.
(This article was written by Tomoki Miyasaka and Mami Okada.)
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