Nov 08 (Japan Today) - The transport ministry will prohibit passengers of all trains in Japan from carrying unpacked knives onto trains from next April under new security measures following a fatal stabbing on a shinkansen bullet train in June, officials said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry said train operators will be able to force passengers out of their trains in case of violation, though the effectiveness of the new steps remains unclear as the operators will not be required to check all baggage.
According to the draft of the revised version of a ministry ordinance which regulates carry-on luggage, knives, hatchets, saws and scissors are expected to be added to a list of prohibited items. Carrying explosives or flammable materials into trains are already banned.
The ministry has been considering measures to beef up security in trains since a man in his early 20s went on rampage on June 9 aboard a Nozomi shinkansen bullet train bound for Shin-Osaka Station from Tokyo, killing a 38-year-old man and injuring two women in their 20s.
