Knife attack on Japan schoolgirl

TOKYO (CNN) -- Japanese police say a 7-year old girl was stabbed in the stomach with a fruit knife as she walked home from school Wednesday afternoon.

Police suspect that the girl was attacked by a 37-year old woman who lived in the same neighborhood, in the town of Kamiakutami, a suburb of Gifu City.

Gifu City is the capital of Gifu prefecture in central Japan, about 280 kilometers (175 miles) west of Tokyo.

Police say the girl sustained injuries that will require approximately a week to heal.

VIDEO CNN's Marina Kamimura with more on growing fears among Japanese about the safety of their schools Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Wednesday's attack comes just one day after a teacher suffered minor injuries from a stabbing.

The teacher was allegedly attacked by a woman who thrust a knife through an opening in a gate at a Tokyo kindergarten before school began.

Less than two weeks ago, eight children were killed and 15 students and teachers were injured during an attack at an elementary school in western Japan.

Police are still searching for the suspect in Tuesday's stabbing.

They arrested the 37-year old after she asked residents at a nearby house to call police and report that a girl had been injured shortly after the attack.