Overview
- Police said a man poured a flammable liquid and set it alight at Shibuya’s scramble crossing on Friday around 9 p.m.
- The suspect, a man in his 50s from Nagoya, turned himself in about 20 minutes later at a nearby station and admitted starting the fire before being arrested.
- Officers put out the flames within minutes, and authorities reported no injuries.
- Investigators are reviewing broadcast footage and viral posts on X and are analyzing a cardboard sign left at the scene to establish motive and formal charges.
- The junction outside Shibuya Station is one of Tokyo’s busiest pedestrian sites, with estimates of 1,000 to 2,500 people crossing every two minutes at peak.