SHANGHAI, May 22, 2026 (News On Japan) - Two Japanese nationals and a Chinese citizen were injured after a 59-year-old man attacked them with a knife at a Japanese restaurant in a commercial building in Shanghai on May 19th, with Chinese authorities investigating the motive after disclosing that the suspect had a history of treatment for mental illness.
The two Japanese nationals did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
At a press conference on May 20th, Chinese Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Guo Jiakun outlined the incident and described the attacker as "a patient with a mental illness."
Asked whether the attack had targeted Japanese nationals, Guo did not answer directly, instead calling on media organizations and others not to "make an issue out of it without reason."
A 59-year-old man wielding a fruit knife attacked customers at a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai's Pudong district on May 19th, injuring two Japanese men and a Chinese woman in an incident that has renewed safety concerns among Japanese residents and businesses in China.
Shanghai police received a report at 12:25 p.m. that a man was attacking people inside a third-floor restaurant in a commercial building on Century Avenue. The restaurant was identified in media reports as Ginpei, a Japanese restaurant located in the Shanghai World Financial Center in Lujiazui, one of the city's main financial districts.
Police officers who arrived at the scene detained the suspect, identified by authorities as a 59-year-old man surnamed Yang, and the three injured people were transported to hospital. Police said the suspect was speaking incoherently, behaving abnormally and had a history of treatment for mental illness. Authorities said the case remained under investigation.
The two Japanese victims were adult men, while the Chinese victim was a woman. The Japanese Consulate-General in Shanghai said the two Japanese nationals were not in life-threatening condition. Mori Building later disclosed that both Japanese victims were employees of a local group company connected with the Shanghai World Financial Center, which was developed and is operated by the Japanese real estate company.
The attack occurred in a building where Japanese companies maintain offices and where many Japanese employees work. One Japanese corporate official in the building was reported as saying the incident was particularly shocking because the restaurant was regularly used by Japanese people working nearby.
Japan's government called on Chinese authorities to clarify the facts of the case, punish the attacker appropriately, take steps to prevent a recurrence and ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in China. Japan's Foreign Ministry also issued safety information urging Japanese citizens in China to remain vigilant, avoid going out alone where possible and exercise particular caution when accompanied by children.
At a regular press conference on May 20th, Chinese Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said one Chinese citizen and two Japanese citizens had been injured by "a patient with a mental disorder," adding that the victims had been promptly taken to hospital and the suspect apprehended by police. Asked whether the assault had intentionally targeted Japanese people, Guo did not answer directly, calling the case an "individual public security incident" and warning against "groundless speculation" or attempts to connect it with broader issues.
The incident follows earlier knife attacks involving Japanese nationals in China, including the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen in September 2024 and an attack in Suzhou in June 2024 in which a Chinese woman was killed while intervening to protect a Japanese mother and child. The latest attack is expected to heighten concern among Japanese residents and companies in China, particularly because it took place inside a prominent Shanghai business complex closely associated with Japanese investment.
Previously: Knife-Wielding Man Injures Two Japanese at Shanghai Restaurant
Source: Kyodo
