Tear gas-like spray at Tokyo luxury mall injures about 20 people
A substance sprayed inside GINZA SIX injured about 20 people and sent hazmat-clad responders into Tokyo’s luxury shopping district as shoppers kept moving through side entrances.
A man sprayed a substance inside one of Tokyo’s most prominent luxury malls Monday, injuring about 20 people and forcing firefighters, police and hazmat-clad responders to move quickly through GINZA SIX, a high-end retail complex in the heart of Ginza.
Tokyo police spokesman Yusuke Koide said the man sprayed the substance at an ATM on the ground floor of the building. A local fire department official said about 20 people were injured after a report of a smell. Two people were seen being taken on stretchers into ambulances, while officials in protective suits examined others for symptoms.
The road in front of the mall was blocked off and fire trucks lined the street as emergency crews worked outside the building. Shoppers were still able to enter and leave through side entrances, but the scene unsettled a district better known for polished storefronts, luxury brands and steady tourist traffic than for a mass public-safety response.
Several people complained of throat pain, stinging, irritation and breathing discomfort after the incident. One eyewitness said the substance may have been tear gas, but authorities had not publicly identified it in the material provided. The exact motive also remained unclear as police and fire officials focused on treating those exposed and securing the area around the shopping complex.
The episode carried an especially sharp resonance in Japan, where public memory of chemical attack remains tied to the March 20, 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack by Aum Shinrikyo members. That attack killed 14 people and injured thousands, and any suspected chemical exposure in a crowded urban space quickly raises broader questions about preparedness in places that project security, wealth and order. GINZA SIX, which opened in 2017, is one of Ginza’s largest commercial complexes, with luxury shops, restaurants and a rooftop garden, making Monday’s disruption a stark reminder that even the most polished public spaces can become scenes of alarm in moments.
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