Japanese former idol Tomita Mayu has spoken out nine years after surviving a horrific stabbing by an obsessed fan that nearly cost her life and shattered her career. In a recent interview, she detailed the traumatic aftermath, lingering PTSD, and her plea for systemic change to protect future victims.
On May 21, 2016, Tomita, then just 20, was ambushed outside her concert venue in Koganei, Tokyo, before performing at Solid Girls Night Vol. 11. Her attacker, 27-year-old Tomohiro Iwazaki, lunged at her with an 8.2 cm knife, stabbing her 61 times in the chest and neck while shouting “You should die!“
Although she survived and avoided fatal organ damage, Tomita’s injuries were extensive. She was hospitalized in critical condition and regained consciousness two weeks later. The attack left her with permanent scars across her body including her face, arms, and back partial blindness in her left eye, and lasting damage that affects her ability to sing, eat, and even use her fingers.
Tomita had just graduated and was beginning to focus on acting and performing full-time. Her dreams were abruptly halted by an attack she had tried to prevent. In the months before the incident, Iwazaki had stalked her online and sent her gifts, including books and a watch. When she returned the watch, he launched into an online harassment spree, posting 400 vitriolic messages in a matter of weeks.
Tomita reported the stalking to the police, requesting protection. Her pleas were dismissed, as authorities deemed there was “no immediate threat.” Tragically, just weeks later, she was brutally assaulted.
During Iwazaki’s 2017 trial, he claimed he didn’t intend to kill her, only acted out of anger after she ignored his gift. He was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months in prison, a punishment many saw as too lenient.
In 2019, Tomita sued the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, her former manager, and Iwazaki, demanding ¥76 million (approx. $483,000) in damages for the failure to protect her. The case was settled in July 2025.
Now, Tomita is planning to release a memoir, a process she describes as emotionally exhausting but necessary. She criticizes Tokyo police for their indifference, revealing how during court questioning, they showed her a newspaper photo of her attacker without warning triggering a traumatic flashback.
“It felt like he was right in front of me again, knife in hand. My heart was being torn apart,” she recalled. “In that moment, I realized the police didn’t understand my pain worse, they didn’t even try to understand.“
Tomita lives a reclusive life, still haunted by the memory. PTSD prevents her from sleeping, taking public transport, or going out alone. The anniversary of the attack, May 21, is especially terrifying. She battles hallucinations and a constant fear her attacker will return one day.
“The fear that he’ll be released never fades. The more I try to move forward, the more reality reminds me I’m still living in the world where this happened,” she said.
Despite Japan amending its anti-stalking laws in December 2016 to include cyberstalking, Tomita warns that the danger remains. She urges authorities to take stalking seriously and act before tragedy strikes.
“Stalking cases have continued over the past 9 years. Every time I see one on the news, I feel despair and anger,” she said. “Please, don’t let promises be empty. Remember a single decision can change a life forever.“
Tomita’s voice today is not just a survivor’s it is a call to protect others from the horror she endured, and to ensure that her pain leads to real, lasting change.
Sources: TP
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