Japan Reportedly Looking Into Banning Joker Movie After A Rise In Violent Copycat Crimes

Japanese media has reported that the authorities are looking to ban the 2019 movie Joker from TV after the recent rise in copycat crimes.

Many of the crimes were inspired by the scene where the Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix, killed three people on the subway.

Two weeks ago on Halloween (Oct 31), a 24-year-old man dressed like the Joker was arrested after stabbing random passengers on a Keio Line train in Tokyo.

He also set a train carriage on fire after attacking passengers. A total of 17 people required medical treatment for knife wounds or smoke inhalation following his rampage.

Twitter user @takahashi9811 posted a video of the assailant on the train before the attack, and the clip showed him holding a knife in his right hand while smoking a cigarette with his left.

Concerns about safety have been raised by the Japanese, many of whom ride the train daily.

Earlier this year, a Russian court is reported to have banned anime series Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul and Inuyashiki for featuring "cruelty, murder and violence” and there was worry that consumption of such content would “incite violence in teenagers”.

Photos: Warner Bros. Pictures, takahashi9811’s Twitter