Reports state that the majority of the victims were school girls aged between six and seven, with paramedics treating 13 injured school children and three adults.
Witnesses watched as the knife attacker went on a rampage before fatally stabbing himself in the neck.
A witness told The New York Times the suspect screamed, “I will kill you!” before attacking the children.
Another witness told NHK in a translated report: “A man was down on the bus stop of the city bus about 20m away from the elementary school bus stop with blood. Usually, it is a peaceful place and it is scary it happened.”
Although paramedics tried to revive the attacker at the scene, he was later pronounced dead. As yet, no motive has been revealed for the horrific crime.