2014 AKB48 handsaw assault

On May 25, 2014, members of the Japanese girl idol group AKB48 were attacked with a handsaw during a fan handshake event at the Iwate Industry Culture and Convention Center in Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture. Two members of AKB48 — 18-year-old Anna Iriyama and 19-year-old Rina Kawaei — along with a staff member who tried to stop the attacker, were seriously injured and taken to hospital. The assailant was arrested, tried and sentenced to six years in jail. Both AKB48 members underwent surgery and were out of the group's activities for a lengthy period of time.