FULKUOKA (TR) – Suzuya Yanase, a 19-year-old member of the female idol group HKT48, updated a social media account on Tuesday to express her feelings about the stabbing incident that took place before an event two days before.
“Honestly, I’m still in shock and my heart hasn’t fully recovered,” Yanase wrote. “I’m at a loss for words that something like this happened in a place that I’ve always cherished and protected.”
At shortly after 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Naoya Yamaguchi, a resident of Itoshima City, allegedly stabbed a male staff member for HKT48, 44, with a knife-like object at the BOSS E・ZO FUKUOKA shopping center, located in Fukuoka City’s Chuo Ward.
During questioning, Yamaguchi admitted to allegations of attempted murder. He said, “I stabbed the victim with the intention of killing him.” The suspect also hinted that he had stabbed a woman, aged in her 20s.
On Tuesday, police sent Yamaguchi to prosecutors on suspicion of attempted murder and violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law.
As previously reported, the woman and the male staff member were taken to a hospital in the city. The two victims are conscious and able to speak.
On Sunday, HKT48 was scheduled to conduct an online “handshake” event to celebrate the release of the theater version of HKT48’s 19th single “Short Sleeve Angel.” The event was subsequently canceled.
Yanase continued, “My heart feels like it’s breaking as I think about whether there was something I could have done, whether it could have been prevented. I’m truly, truly sorry and regretful. This must never happen again. Absolutely not. I sincerely pray for a speedy recovery for the two victims.”
Two household knives
According to police, Yamaguchi called police from a public phone near Fukuoka City just after 2:00 a.m. on Monday. Initially, he said that he saw the man involved in the incident, but later implied that he was the culprit.
When police arrived at the pay phone from which the call had originated, Yamaguchi was found in possession of two household knives.
Pepper spray
According to HKT48 management, Yamaguchi was a regular at the HKT48 Theater, located at the shopping center, and attended events there five to six times a month, reports Nippon News Network (Dec. 15).
The stabbings took place about 80 meters apart. The incident involving the staff member happened at the elevator hall for staff members at the dome, where idols take photos.
The staff member said, “No one other than those involved should be here.” As he said that, Yamaguchi suddenly sprayed him with pepper spray and stabbed him in the left chest.
The second attack occurred at an adjacent commercial facility. The victim was a woman who had visited Fukuoka for a concert and was meeting up with a friend. She later told police that she had been suddenly stabbed by a stranger.
The injuries to the staff member are considered serious while those suffered by the woman are minor, police said.
The management agency for HKT48 has announced that the theater performance scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled.
Its official website issued a statement on Tuesday that read, “In light of various circumstances, we have decided to cancel the theater performance scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025.”
The event was Team H’s performance of “What kind of love will we be living in a year from now?”
The statement continued, “We are currently preparing the environment for theater performances after Saturday, December 20, 2025, but will announce again whether or not they will be held. We appreciate your continued support of HKT48.”
