"If you let Muslims in, incidents like the stabbing at the Pokemon shop will happen"? No information indicates the suspect is Muslim【Fact Check】

Following the fatal stabbing of a store clerk at "Pokemon Center " in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, on March 26, 2026, an English-language post claiming that such incidents are a consequence of allowing Muslims into the country has gone viral. However, this claim is baseless. As of March 31, neither news outlets nor the police have reported that the suspect is Muslim.

CLAIM UNDER REVIEW

The Viral Claim

On March 31, 2026, an English post on X began circulating alongside a video of the incident at the Pokemon Center. The post stated: "Literally one of the safest places on earth. Literally a store made for children. They let Muslims into their country. This is what happens."

Why We're Fact-Checking This

As of March 31, the post has been reposted more than 900 times and has reached over 894,000 views.

Reactions were divided. Some users pushed back, dismissing the claim with comments such as "Why do idiots like you keep linking things that have nothing to do with each other?" or questioning the premise outright: "What made you come to the conclusion that the attacker was Muslim?!"

Others, however, took the claim at face value. Among the more alarming responses were comments like "Takaichi has been handed the reason to deport every single muslim out of the country, let's hope she takes it," and "Muslims are evil ! Don't let enter your country, they will kill you !"

Posts about crimes by foreign nationals in Japan — as well as xenophobic posts — frequently go viral internationally. JFC decided to verify the claim.

VERIFICATION

The viral post and video

The viral post quotes another account's post, which stated: "Female Staff Member Stabbed by Man at Ikebukuro Pokemon Center, Unconscious; Man Also Stabs Himself in Neck, Unconscious"

The post also includes a 1-minute and 17-second video showing the chaotic scene inside the Pokemon store immediately after the incident. However, the footage only shows staff and bystanders being ushered away from the scene; neither the suspect nor the victim is visible. The video contains no information regarding the suspect’s identity or religion.

There is no information indicating the suspect is Muslim

The viral post implies that the suspect is a Muslim. However, according to multiple news reports, the suspect was a former partner of the victim. He stabbed himself and was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital.

Reports also indicate that the victim had previously consulted the police regarding the suspect’s stalking behavior (Asahi Shimbun, "Woman dies in Ikebukuro; man who stabbed her possibly suicide," March 26; Jiji Press, "Ikebukuro Stabbing: Man suspected of alternating stabs between victim and self after breakup talk" March 28; NHK, "Ikebukuro stabbing: victim was a 21-year-old woman, stabber appears to have been former partner," March 27, 2026).

Furthermore, TBS NEWS DIG reported details about the suspect’s background, including his student years in Okinawa and testimonials from people at a swimming school he had attended. (TBS NEWS DIG, "Tokyo Ikebukuro Pokémon Center stabbing — 'Crying loudly, stabbed repeatedly'; suspect's water-damaged smartphone found in toilet; actions immediately before crime come to light," March 30).

As of March 31, there have been no reports from news outlets or announcements from the police suggesting that the suspect was a Muslim or an immigrant.

VERDICT:BASELESS

Following the fatal stabbing of a clerk at the Pokemon store in Ikebukuro, an English post claiming that "letting Muslims into the country" leads to such incidents went viral. As of March 31, there is no information or evidence to support the claim that the suspect was Muslim. Therefore, JFC determines the claim to be Baseless.

SOURCES

Asahi Shimbun. "Woman dies in Ikebukuro; man who stabbed her possibly suicide; victim had consulted police about stalking." March 26, 2026. https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASV3V3JLDV3VUTIL02DM.html (Accessed March 31, 2026).

Jiji Press. "Ikebukuro Stabbing: Man suspected of alternating stabs between victim and self after breakup talk" March 28, 2026. https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2026032701092&g=soc (Accessed March 31, 2026).

NHK. "Ikebukuro stabbing: victim was a 21-year-old woman, stabber appears to have been former partner." March 27, 2026. https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015085121000 (Accessed March 31, 2026).

TBS NEWS DIG. "Tokyo Ikebukuro Pokemon Center stabbing — 'Crying loudly, stabbed repeatedly'; suspect's water-damaged smartphone found in toilet; actions immediately before crime come to light." March 30, 2026. https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2564628?display=1 (Accessed March 31, 2026).

Verified by:Ayako Nezu
Edited by: Kamome Fujimori, Daisuke Furuta

※This is the English version of the article below.

https://www.factcheckcenter.jp/fact-check/duo-yang-xing/was-the-ikebukuro-pokemon-center-attacker-a-muslim/