TOKYO – Police said a car slammed into pedestrians on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people.

Police took into custody a man in his 20s but did not further identify him. They say he is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the car through the street.

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NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene.

The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans, that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku.</s>Policemen stand next to a car which plowed into pedestrians on New Year day in Tokyo, Japan, January 1, 2019.

TOKYO - At least eight people were injured, one seriously, when a vehicle plowed into crowds celebrating New Year's Day in Tokyo early on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said the driver had been detained and national broadcaster NHK said the man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

He was identified as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, from Osaka, a major city about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, NHK said.

NHK said the suspect had initially described the incident as an "act of terror" but later said the attack was in retaliation for capital punishment.

The incident happened shortly after midnight local time on Monday in the popular tourist area of Harajuku, near Meiji Shrine, in central Tokyo.

"I can't believe it, this is a place I'm familiar with, so it's very shocking," said Tatsuhiro Yaegashi, a 27-year-old worker in the area.

The street was closed to vehicles at the time of the incident to accommodate the large number of pedestrians making their way to the shrine for New Year's prayers.

TV pictures of the scene on Tuesday showed a gray coloured light vehicle used in the attack, positioned across the street. The front of the vehicle was badly damaged and dozens of police and rescue officials were at the scene.

The suspect fled from the scene and assaulted a passerby before he was captured 20 minutes later, NHK said. About 20 liters of kerosene were found in the vehicle.

"I learned about the incident later. But I shudder to think. If the incident had happened five minutes later, I would've been involved," a woman who walked past the scene shortly after the incident told NHK.

In a similar attack in 2008, a man who said he was tired of life drove a rental truck into a crowd of pedestrians in Tokyo before jumping out and stabbing several people. At least seven people were killed and a dozen injured.</s>At least nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car plowed into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve in a central part of Tokyo, according to police.

The incident occurred on the well-known Takeshita Street in the shopping and tourist district of Harajuku, which runs parallel to the famous Meiji shrine. The road was closed to facilitate access to the shrine, which is a popular destination for people on New Year’s Eve.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police told CNN that they have opened an investigation into the incident, which occurred at around 10 minutes past midnight on January 1st. One person, a 21-year-old man, has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder, according to police.

The injured ranged in age from teenagers to those in their 50s. One male university student remains in critical condition.

The suspect, named as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, initially told police that he had conducted a terrorist act, later saying he had deliberately driven the car down the narrow street to protest his opposition to the death penalty, telling police he “would not make any excuse” for his actions.

The car barreled down the narrow street, which was packed with pedestrians, slamming into a number of them, police said.</s>Tokyo -- A minivan slammed into pedestrians early Tuesday on a street where people had gathered for New Year's festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people, police said. The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on customary condition of anonymity.

He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street. NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene.

A ninth person was injured after Kusakabe got out of the car and punched him, police said. His condition was not immediately known.

A large tank filled with kerosene was found in the car, police said. The suspect appeared to have planned to set his car on fire, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. Police declined to comment on the reports, saying such possible motives were still under investigation.

Investigative sources told the Japan Times that the man said he rammed his vehicle into the crowd "in retaliation for an execution." It was not immediately clear what he was referring to.

The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a road well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shibuya ward.

Every New Year's Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night, for people welcoming the new year with a shrine visit.

Japan is a relatively crime free nation with strict gun-control laws. In 2008, a man drove his car into a crowd in the popular Akihabara electronic-shopping district, got off and went on a stabbing spree with a knife. Seven people were killed.</s>A car has rammed pedestrians on a busy Tokyo street that was closed to traffic for New Year festivities. A 21-year-old man initially confessed to a terrorist act but later recanted, leaving investigators puzzled about his motives.

The car, which was driving in a wrong lane, bulldozed into revelers in Japan’s capital city as it swerved into a shopping street bustling with people just after midnight, NHK reported.

The ramming is believed to have been intentional, as the street had been closed to traffic due to the New Year celebrations. Hundreds of people were heading to a nearby shrine to pray for good luck in the new year.

Eight people were injured in the incident, including one male university student who was taken to hospital in critical condition. Teenagers and adults in their 50s are among the victims.

The driver was identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe. He initially attempted to flee the scene on foot but was located and apprehended by police some 20 minutes after the incident.

Kusakabe repeatedly changed his story when questioned about his motives. Initially, the 21-year-old claimed that he had carried out a terrorist attack. However, he then backtracked on that, saying instead that he had attempted a murder. Shortly after, Kusakabe again changed his tune, claiming that he rammed the people in response to executions. It is unclear if he was referring to the system of capital punishment that exists in Japan, or to specific executions.

Japan executed 15 people in 2018, its highest number in one year since 2008. Death penalties are carried out with no advance warning to an inmate, his or her family or their legal representative. Earlier this year, Japan executed 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect that had carried out a sarin chemical attack on Tokyo subway in 1995. Their deaths rekindled the debate on capital punishment, with the US and Japan being the only countries among the G7 group that still have recourse to it.

Last week, Japan executed two prisoners who had been on death row since 2004, charged with robbery and murder.</s>At least nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car deliberately plowed into crowds celebrating the New Year in central Tokyo in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred on the well-known Takeshita Street in the shopping and tourist district of Harajuku, which runs parallel to the famous Meiji shrine.

The narrow, iconic street is known worldwide as a hub of Japanese youth culture and fashion, and the area famous for its “Harajuku girls,” who dress in outlandish, striking costumes.

The road was closed to traffic over the New Year, largely because of its proximity to the Meiji Shrine, which is a popular destination for people on New Year’s Eve — many Japanese visit local or famous shrines over the new year period to pray for good fortune in the coming year.

Images showed crowds flocking to the shrine on New Year’s Day, despite the incident just hours earlier.

The car barreled down the narrow street, which was packed with pedestrians, at around 12.10 a.m., on New Year’s day, police said. One of the injured was reportedly attacked by the suspect after he had exited the vehicle after it had come to a stop.

One eyewitness told local media that he saw “people collapsed one after another and being helped.” Media also reported that the driver eluded arrest for around 20 minutes before police caught him.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police told CNN that they have opened an investigation into the incident. One person, a 21-year-old man, has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder, according to police.

The injured ranged in age from teenagers to those in their 50s. One male university student remains in critical condition.

The suspect, named as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, initially told police that he had conducted a terrorist act, later saying he had deliberately driven the car down the narrow street to protest his opposition to the death penalty, telling police he “would not make any excuse” for his actions.

CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported, citing police, that a large amount of kerosene was discovered in the suspect’s car. Traces of the liquid were also found on his clothes. The suspect reportedly told police that he had acted in “retaliation for the execution of Aum cult members.”

The remaining members of the doomsday cult, which was found to be responsible for a 1995 sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway, were executed in July.</s>A car has rammed pedestrians on a busy Tokyo street that was closed to traffic for New Year festivities.The car, which was driving in a wrong lane, bulldozed into revelers in Japan's capital city as it swerved into a shopping street bustling with people just after midnight, NHK reported. Hundreds of people were heading to a nearby shrine to pray for good luck in the new year.Eight people were injured in the incident, including one male university student who was taken to hospital in critical condition. Teenagers and adults in their 50s are among the victims.The driver was identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe.Kusakabe repeatedly changed his story when questioned about his motives. Initially, the 21-year-old claimed that he had carried out a terrorist attack. However, he then backtracked on that, saying instead that he had attempted a murder. Shortly after, Kusakabe again changed his tune, claiming that he rammed the people in response to executions. It is unclear if he was referring to the system of capital punishment that exists in Japan, or to specific executions.Japan executed 15 people in 2018, its highest number in one year since 2008. Death penalties are carried out with no advance warning to an inmate, his or her family or their legal representative. Earlier this year, Japan executed 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect that had carried out a sarin chemical attack on Tokyo subway in 1995.Last week, Japan executed two prisoners who had been on death row since 2004, charged with robbery and murder.</s>TOKYO (AP) — A minivan slammed into pedestrians early Tuesday on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people, police said. The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was…

TOKYO (AP) — A minivan slammed into pedestrians early Tuesday on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people, police said.

The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on customary condition of anonymity.

He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street. NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene.

A ninth person was injured after Kusakabe got out of the car and punched him, police said. His condition was not immediately known.

A large tank filled with kerosene was found in the car, police said. The suspect appeared to have planned to set his car on fire, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. Police declined to comment on the reports, saying such possible motives were still under investigation.

The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a road well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shibuya ward.

Every New Year’s Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night, for people welcoming the new year with a shrine visit.

Japan is a relatively crime free nation with strict gun-control laws. In 2008, a man drove his car into a crowd in the popular Akihabara electronic-shopping district, got off and went on a stabbing spree with a knife. Seven people were killed.

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>Nine people were hurt, one seriously, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve along a famous Tokyo street, police and media said Tuesday.

With an “intent to murder”, 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo’s fashion district of Harajuku at 12.10am, a police spokesman said.

According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in “retribution for the death penalty” without giving more precise details.

NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances.

“It is a shock. Really scary, isn’t it?” one bystander told NHK.

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Police immediately cordoned off the street, which was packed with people celebrating the New Year.

One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman said.

Kusakabe was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said.

According to local media, Kusakabe hit a total of eight people and assaulted another on the street, which was closed to car traffic at the time as revellers packed the area to celebrate New Year.

Takeshita Street is packed with small shops and is considered the centre of youth culture and fashion in Japan, attracting tens of thousands of international tourists every day.

Unlike in other major cities, New Year in Tokyo is a relatively muted affair.

There is no major fireworks display and no central point where drunken revellers gather to see in the New Year.

Instead, Japanese people tend to see in the New Year with families and quietly go to the shrine to pray for good fortune in the year to come.</s>At least nine people were hurt shortly after midnight on Tuesday when a man rammed his car into pedestrians on a Tokyo street in what he claimed was an act of terrorism, local media reported.

The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on customary condition of anonymity.

He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street. NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene.

According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details.

NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances.

A ninth person was injured after Kusakabe got out of the car and punched him, police said. His condition was not immediately known.

A large tank filled with kerosene was found in the car, police said. The suspect appeared to have planned to set his car on fire, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. Police declined to comment on the reports, saying such possible motives were still under investigation.

The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a road well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shibuya ward.

Every New Year's Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night, for people welcoming the new year with a shrine visit.

Japan is a relatively crime free nation with strict gun-control laws. In 2008, a man drove his car into a crowd in the popular Akihabara electronic-shopping district, got off and went on a stabbing spree with a knife. Seven people were killed.
A car plows into New Year's celebrators in Tokyo, Japan, injuring eight. A ninth person was assaulted by the driver after he got out of the vehicle. Police believe the incident to be intentional.