A 35-year-old man, Masashi Tanimoto, was arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old woman, Megumi Katayama, at her condominium in Kobe's Chuo Ward on August 20, 2025. Police investigations revealed that Tanimoto, who works for a transportation company in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, had been staying at a hotel near the victim's workplace for several days prior to the incident, including the day of the attack. Surveillance footage showed him following the victim for over 50 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 4 kilometers from her workplace to her home, including riding the same trains and stations as the victim. The suspect reportedly stabbed the victim once or twice in the stomach but claimed to the police that he did not know if he had murderous intent and that he did not know the victim, describing her as a "total stranger." Authorities are investigating the motive, noting no confirmed prior relationship between the two. Tanimoto had a criminal history involving stalking and assault, including a conviction three years earlier for stalking and strangling another woman in Kobe, with a suspended sentence. On the day of the crime, he had pre-purchased a Shinkansen ticket and fled to Tokyo via the Shin-Kobe Station shortly after the attack, using a taxi to reach the station while avoiding public attention. Police conducted a search of his residence and employee dormitory in Tokyo, seizing evidence including a blood-stained knife with a blade length of approximately 15 centimeters. Further investigations revealed that three days before the murder, Tanimoto had stalked another woman in Kobe, entering her apartment building by following her through an auto-lock entrance. Police are probing whether he was selecting victims and examining his actions in the days leading up to the murder. The case has drawn attention due to the suspect's repeated pattern of targeting women he did not know and his prior offenses.