Japanese Influencer Fatally Stabbed While Livestreaming in Tokyo

A 42-year-old man has been arrested after tracking down and attacking the 22-year-old over an unpaid debt.

Airi Sato, a 22-year-old livestreamer, was fatally stabbed while broadcasting in Tokyo’s Takadanobaba district on Tuesday morning.
The attacker, Kenichi Takano, 42, admitted to targeting Sato over a financial dispute, claiming she owed him over ¥2 million ($13,500) that he had lent her since 2022.
Takano tracked Sato’s location by analyzing her livestream and used a survival knife purchased months earlier to stab her multiple times in the head, neck, and torso.
Bystanders captured images and videos of the aftermath, while Sato’s livestream abruptly ended with her audience expressing concern online.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of livestreamers, particularly female creators, with many reconsidering in-real-life (IRL) streaming due to potential risks.