A 26-year-old man, whose trial in a 2021 arson and stabbing case on Tokyo’s Keio Line began Monday, admitted to the actions and attempting to murder the man he stabbed, but denied having intended to murder anyone by starting the fire.
In the first court hearing at the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court, Kyota Hattori, 26, who wore a costume resembling that of "Batman" villain the Joker during the incident, admitted to both stabbing a man and lighting a train carriage on fire, injuring 12 others.
However, he denied parts of the indictment, saying that there was no intent to murder when he lit the carriage on fire. “I don’t know if the arson can be considered attempted murder,” Hattori said.