Actor stabbed to death with sword at Japanese play rehearsal

TOKYO – An actor was fatally stabbed with a real or mock samurai sword while rehearsing a play at a Tokyo studio, and police were investigating whether his death was criminal or accidental.

Media reports indicated several actors were performing an action scene when the man was stabbed Monday, and no one saw what exactly happened.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that the other actors saw Daigo Kashino hunched over, wounded in the abdomen, when they turned around after hearing him groan.

Kashino, 33, was an actor with the theatre group in downtown Tokyo. He was rushed to a hospital but died hours later, police said.

Police didn’t describe the sword or if it might have had safety features to prevent injury.