Tourist-friendly Japan is well-known for being a relatively safe country for foreign visitors.

But an attack on a tourist occurred recently in Osaka, a prefecture popular with travellers.

Attacked from behind

According to South China Morning Post, a female Chinese tourist was stabbed and slashed at Don Quijote's head store in Umeda, Osaka.

Don Quijote is Japan's biggest discount store chain, selling products ranging from medication, hardware items to clothes.

The chain also has outlets in Singapore, where it is branded as Don Don Donki.

The incident at Don Quijote occurred on Jan. 4, 2020, at around 3:30pm, reported Japan Today.

The 31-year-old tourist, who has not been named, was attacked from behind on a flight of stairs by another woman wielding a knife.

The woman who allegedly carried out the attack was subsequently subdued by another male shopper who heard the victim cry out.

Photos posted to Twitter showed police at the scene.

The store's entrance was also cordoned off.

Attacker said she "bought a kitchen knife to kill someone"

Japan Today revealed the attacker's identity to be Miki Matsuoka from Takamatsu City in Kagawa prefecture.

She was then arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder, reported SCMP.

Police added that Matsuoka and the victim were not acquainted.

The woman reportedly told authorities that she had "bought a kitchen knife to kill someone".

She stated that she "didn't like the attitude" of the tourist that she spoke to, and so "thought of killing her".

The victim sustained stabbing and slashing injuries to the back of her head, which local media reported as "minor injuries".

She was later admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Top photo from @ss7_R5 / Twitter and Harapan Ong / Google Maps