35-Year-Old Tokyo Man Arrested for Fatal Stabbing of Megumi Katayama in Kobe Elevator After Following Her 50 Minutes

A 24-year-old woman named Megumi Katayama was fatally stabbed in the elevator of her apartment building in Kobe, Japan, on August 20, 2025. The victim suffered multiple stab wounds and died from blood loss. Surveillance footage showed a man following the woman into the building and restraining her in the elevator before fleeing on foot to the north. A blood-stained knife believed to be the murder weapon was found in a nearby parking lot. The suspect, a 35-year-old man named Masashi Tanimoto who resides in Tokyo, was arrested on August 22 in Okutama, Tokyo, after a two-day manhunt. He was found to have stayed at a hotel near the victim's workplace in Kobe for several days prior to the attack and was seen on security cameras following the woman for more than 50 minutes, including on trains and near her workplace. Tanimoto admitted to stabbing the victim once or twice in the stomach but claimed he did not know if he had murderous intent. He also stated that he did not know the victim, describing her as a "total stranger." Police have found no confirmed connection between the suspect and the victim and are investigating the motive. After the stabbing, Tanimoto took a taxi to Shin-Kobe Station and traveled by Shinkansen to Tokyo. He was transferred to Kobe police for further questioning. Tanimoto has a prior arrest record for attempted murder in Kobe in 2022. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances and motive behind the attack.