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The French fashion company Louis Vuitton and Japanese modern artist Takashi Murakami have produced Superflat First Love, an anime short to mark the revamp of Louis Vuitton's Multicolor Spring Palette line of leather accessories.

Cultural commentators such as Keiichi Kashiwabara, a professor of philosophy at The Open University of Japan, blame the growth of otaku culture for the widening chasm between youth and mainstream society.

Sunday's attack has prompted politicians and health care professionals to lament again the country's high rate of depression and anxiety, especially among stressed school children.

Experts warn separately that the virtual world inhabited by Japanese youth has caused many to become too comfortable with the idea of seeing dead characters return to life. As Ukyo Murakami, a 14-year-old boy, told the AFP wire service yesterday: "I'm afraid [Kato] did this because he played video games. But he should have known that, in life, you can't hit the restart button."