A Japanese influencer was brutally stabbed to death whilst streaming to thousands of horrified viewers.
Streamer Airi Sato, 22, was confirmed dead on Tuesday after she was attacked by a man with a knife – stabbing her in the neck, head and chest.
She was live streaming to over 6,000 people at the time of the attack, before she was killed by 42-year-old Kenichi Takano.
Sato’s content centred around vlogging her daily life, and filmed herself walking around metro lines.
Police told local media that the man had tracked the influencer down after recognising one of the buildings in the back of her stream.
The man later told police that he had given Sato a “substantial” amount of money, about £13,000, which was never repaid.
He had reportedly been made acquaintances with her in 2021 through her livestreams.
Throughout their developing relationship, the influencer asked for more loans under different circumstances.
For example, she said she had lost her wallet, lost access to funds or needed urgent financial help.
Police saw messages which suggest that the requests escalated, with amounts starting small and then growing over the course of time.
Takano even took legal action and won a court case for the debt, but still received no payments.
It appears that the unresolved dispute led the man to commit the violent act.
TokyoHive reported that Takano said he felt manipulated and listed a series of excuses Sato had used to ask him for money.
Approximately 6,500 were reportedly watching the stream at the time, causing viewers to frantically call for help.
Several claimed they even heard screams as the influencer was attacked, according to SoapCentral.com
Police recovered a five-inch-long knife from the scene.
Footage showed the aftermath of the attack with a crowd of emergency services surrounding the victim.
This is not the first time streamer has been killed in Japan.
In 2023, a 26-year-old man was sentenced to 17 years in prison after he stabbed his influencer ex to death.
