Japan rethinks its stalking laws after Pokemon store murder
Long before Moe Harukawa was killed, she lived in fear. The 21-year-old shop assistant had reported her ex-boyfriend to police and a court had ordered him to stay away from her. Yet weeks later, Taiki Hirokawa, 26, walked into Harukawa’s workplace – a packed Pokemon store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district – and stabbed her repeatedly in the neck and torso before turning the knife he was carrying on…
The tragic murder of Moe Harukawa in March sent shockwaves through Japan, reigniting discussions about how to prevent stalking-related attacks. Harukawa, a 21-year-old shop assistant, had reported her ex-boyfriend Taiki Hirokawa to the police for stalking, with a court order prohibiting him from approaching her. Weeks later, Hirokawa entered the Pokemon store where Harukawa worked, brutally stabbing her multiple times before taking his own life. Both victims succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
The incident has sparked a debate over how to address the growing surge in stalking cases in Japan. Government statistics reveal a 16% increase in people seeking police advice about stalking in 2024 compared to the previous year, with a record 3,037 restraining orders issued. High-profile stabbings, including a spate of knife attacks by teenagers in 2025 and two subway stabbing sprees four years earlier, have heightened public anxieties about safety.
Legal experts have formed a panel to review and propose revisions to Japan's Anti-Stalking Act, introduced in 2000. One proposed amendment requires individuals charged with stalking to wear a GPS tracking device, a move criticized for potentially infringing on personal rights. While acknowledging the need for change, some argue that authorities should have done more to protect Harukawa in this particular case.
Societal factors, such as a lack of parental discipline, may contribute to the rise in stalking cases, according to observer Makoto Watanabe. He believes that growing up without proper guidance has left a generation of young people ill-equipped to handle rejection or boundaries. Despite concerns about personal freedoms, many social media commentators favor the idea of tracking stalkers, with some even suggesting implanting GPS trackers for murderers and sex offenders.
Lecturer Sumie Kawakami supports the idea of tracking stalkers, emphasizing the need to address stalking seriously, but acknowledges the potential for public opposition due to concerns over freedom of movement. Ultimately, finding the right balance between protecting victims and respecting individual rights will be crucial in implementing any changes to Japan's stalking laws.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
