On March 26, a female store clerk at Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in Japan was fatally stabbed by a man, who then turned the weapon on himself. Both died of their injuries in hospital later that evening. Today, Japanese news outlets have revealed that the perpetrator was the victim’s former boyfriend, and had previously been arrested for stalking her.
An employee at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, Moe Harukawa (21) was stabbed multiple times by Daiki Hirokawa (26) at 7.20pm on Thursday, after which the perpetrator stabbed himself in the neck. Subsequent reports by TBS News Dig and others revealed that Hirokawa was Harukawa’s former boyfriend.
According to Asahi News, they were in a relationship up until around July 2025. After the break-up, the victim reported to the police that she was being stalked by Hirokawa, and that he would lie in wait outside her home and also secretly film her. Later that same day, Hirokawa turned up outside her residence again and was arrested under Japan’s Anti-Stalking Act. At this time, according to TBS News Dig, a fruit knife was found inside Hirokawa’s car. When questioned by police, he responded that he wanted to get back together with her.
Hirokawa was arrested in January this year and given a restraining order. Police urged him to get counseling but he apparently refused.
Moe Harukawa apparently began living elsewhere to escape Hirokawa’s stalking, however she still kept her part-time job at the Pokémon Center (which her killer was aware of). She explained that it was her dream to work there as she adored Pokémon, so she didn’t want to leave the job.
“She was a very polite and cheerful girl who got on well with her siblings. I’m in shock,” a person who knew the victim told TBS News.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe that Hirokawa had an obsessive fixation on his former girlfriend and are still investigating the tragic incident.
The Pokémon Company has issued a statement announcing the temporary closure of Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo and Pikachu Sweets as a result.
Thank you for your continued patronage of Pokémon Centers. Due to the incident that occurred on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in Sunshine City, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, we will be temporarily closed until further notice, prioritizing our full cooperation with the police and the physical and mental well-being of our staff. We sincerely apologize for the great concern and inconvenience this has caused everyone. We will inform you again when we will be reopening for business. We kindly ask for your understanding.
Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
