At Kawasaki Station, an Unknown Person Sprayed Chemicals Right in a Commuter Train Car (1 photo + 3 videos)
Mornings on Japanese commuter trains are usually quiet, filled with gadgets and sleeping clerks standing up. But at Kawasaki Station (Kanagawa Prefecture), a key hub between Tokyo and Yokohama, the usual order turned to chaos. 
It all happened during rush hour on the JR Tokaido Line. When the train doors opened on the platform, passengers in one car suddenly began coughing en masse and clutching their throats. People began to tear profusely and had asthma attacks. Eyewitnesses described the situation as a sudden outbreak of panic: those standing on the platform saw people literally tumbling out of the train, doubled over from coughing.
Police and paramedics arrived on the scene within minutes. The station was partially cordoned off, and a mobile command center was set up on the platform.
Of the thirteen people who suffered chemical irritation of their mucous membranes, three were more severely affected. They were a young family: a man, his wife, and their one-year-old daughter. The baby was hospitalized along with her parents. Doctors are currently assessing their condition as stable, but the fact that the "chemist" did not spare the child has added to the fury of Japanese social media users.
The consulate is currently verifying information about whether there are any citizens among the victims, as the Tokaido Line is a popular route for tourists traveling from Tokyo to Kamakura or Fuji.
The attacker managed to escape into the crowd immediately after the commotion began in the train. Kawasaki police are currently reviewing surveillance footage, of which there are hundreds at Japanese stations. The leading theory currently is the use of powerful pepper spray or a similar irritant in a confined space, which, in the densely packed conditions of Japanese commuter trains, is considered a terrorist attack.
Japan is a unique country in terms of safety: it has an extremely low crime rate, but if something happens on the subway, the locals instantly trigger a genetic memory of the 1995 sarin gas attack. Therefore, any "chemistry" on the train causes not just a stir, but a real national drama. So, if this hooligan is caught, he won't get off with a fine.
