Osaka stabbing suspect had 'strong intent to kill', victim suffered severe neck wounds

A 21-year-old man arrested for a fatal stabbing in Osaka's Dotonbori entertainment district on Saturday night is suspected of acting with "strong intent to kill," focusing first on the victim who later died, police said.

Ryuga Iwasaki was arrested on Sunday after allegedly stabbing three 17-year-old boys, killing one and seriously injuring two others. The incident occurred late Saturday night in the popular tourist area.

The deceased, Ryunosuke Kamata, also 17, from Nara Prefecture, suffered severe neck wounds in addition to multiple chest stab wounds, according to investigative sources quoted by Japanese media. The severity of the injuries points to the suspect's brutality.

While Iwasaki reportedly claimed he had no intent to kill and only meant to threaten with the knife, police believe based on wound patterns, witness testimony, and surveillance footage that he first attacked Kamata with strong intent before stabbing the other two.

The altercation allegedly began when the boys verbally confronted Iwasaki after he harassed a woman at the scene. Acquaintances described the suspect as generally calm but uncontrollable when angered, and known to carry a knife. One friend said he would boast about his blades and even used real and fake knives during music video shoots.

Police arrested Iwasaki about 10 hours after the incident on a street in Naniwa Ward, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the scene, and seized a suspected weapon.