Actor, comedian and director Takeshi Kitano, who starred in 2017's Ghost in the Shell, was attacked in his car by a pickaxe-wielding assailant in Tokyo, Japan.
The incident occurred on Sept. 4. at approximately 10:00 AM, as Kitano was leaving the Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc. building after finishing his news show, "Shin Joho Seven Days Newscaster." A man carrying a pickaxe approached Kitano's vehicle and attacked it, shattering the car's windshield window and the driver's seat side window.
It is unknown if the attacker knew Kitano. He was described as being in his 40s and from Chiba Prefecture. He was arrested for possession of an illegal weapon and it is believed that he was also carrying a knife. According to Metropolitan Police Department representatives, the man admitted to the attack, but his statements were incoherent at times. Both Kitano and his driver were unharmed.
Kitano, also known as Beat Takeshi, is an award-winning filmmaker, actor and comedian, who appeared in Ghost in the Shell as Chief Daisuke Aramaki. The film was widely criticized for whitewashing-- casting white actors, including star Scarlett Johansson, in roles intended to depict Japanese people, in a story intended to reflect a variety of Asian cultures.
Source: Asahi