Japanese residents in Manchester, England, expressed shock that the deadly terrorist attack at a concert hall took place in a city known for welcoming different cultures.
Aya Homei, a lecturer of Japanese studies at the University of Manchester, told The Japan Times on Wednesday that she was working at home in the city's suburbs, some 7 km from its center, when she learned of Monday night's attack through her German husband via Twitter.
Neither Homei nor her acquaintances were harmed in the attack, but Monday's explosion — the latest in a spate of deadly strikes across Europe — confirmed her fears that terrorism "is no longer someone else's matter," she said.