Twenty People Injured in Spraying Incident at Tokyo Mall ATM, Police Say

A quiet Monday at a luxury shopping complex in Tokyo's famous Ginza district turned into a scene of confusion and chemical concern. Around twenty people were injured after a man sprayed an unidentified substance inside the building – specifically, right at an ATM on the ground floor.

Police and fire department officials confirmed the incident, which unfolded quickly and triggered a major emergency response. Tokyo police spokesman Yusuke Koide told the AFP news agency that a male suspect sprayed something unknown at the cash machine. A local fire department official added that roughly twenty people had been injured, and that emergency services had received reports of a strange "smell" inside the mall.

What exactly that smell was – and what the substance might be – remains unclear. Authorities have not yet identified the chemical agent, nor have they released information about the suspect's identity or possible motive. What is known is that the man approached an ATM in one of Tokyo's most upscale retail corridors and discharged some form of spray, sending nearby shoppers and staff into disarray.

The aftermath looked like something out of a disaster drill. Roads around the building were blocked off. Fire trucks lined the street. An AFP reporter at the scene saw two people on stretchers being loaded into an ambulance. Firefighters and officials in full hazmat suits were carefully escorting people out of the mall and into specialized decontamination trucks for medical examination.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that the injuries appeared to be minor. Still, twenty people needing medical attention after a single spray at an ATM is not exactly routine – even for a city as accustomed to orderly emergencies as Tokyo.

The building sits in the heart of Ginza, a district known for its high-end boutiques, luxury brand flagships, and dense crowds of both local shoppers and international tourists. The timing of the incident, while not specified in detail, clearly caught many off guard. Emergency services quickly cordoned off the area, and traffic was diverted while investigators in protective gear combed the scene.

A police investigation is now underway. Officials have not yet said whether they have identified or detained a suspect. Nor have they offered any theory about the motive – whether this was a random act, a targeted attack, or something else entirely.

For now, the ATM in question is likely out of service. The mall is presumably back to business, though perhaps with a few extra nervous glances at anyone carrying a bottle. And somewhere in Tokyo, a man who sprayed something strange in a luxury shopping complex is either already in custody or still out there, wondering what happens next.

The only thing certain at this point is that twenty people did not expect to end their Monday being examined in hazmat trucks. And that a routine trip to the ATM in Ginza turned into something far less routine.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter