Five people die in Japan stabbing frenzy

Kim Hjelmgaard | USA TODAY

Five people were killed Monday in a stabbing rampage in a small town in western Japan, police said.

Media reports said the victims ranged in age from 60 to 80 years old and lived in two houses set among farms in the city of Sumoto on Awaji Island.

A 40-year-old male neighbor of the victims was arrested in connection with the attacks. The motive was unclear.

Kyodo News said he admitted to police he stabbed the people.

The man arrested was identified as Tatsuhiko Hirano, said Keizo Okumoto, deputy chief of the Sumoto police department.

Violent crime is relatively rare in Japan and Okumoto said violent incidents are especially unusual in Sumoto, a city of 44,000 people known for its oranges, onions and Awaji beef.

Seven people were killed in a stabbing frenzy in Tokyo in 2008.

Contributing: Associated Press