Dividing up Ichihashi reward money worthy of its own investigation

sorry the cosmetic surgery & Osaka construction coompanies rather than get dibs on the reward shud be investigated for not informing on ichihashi!

what a palava, makes people think twice about reporting in!

and the people at the Kobe terminal shudnt get anything either!

So, basically, nobody is going to end up with anything. Or, everyone is going to end up with nothing.

I would think the guy at the ferry would get the lion's share, but... well, whatever, haha.

Im reliefed to hear that he was caught last night besides, i was suprised that he was going to come to okinawa by ferry. Im living in okinawa so I might see him if he could escape. Japan is not safe anymore....

I think some part of the reward money should be awarded to Japan Today in the name of all posters who actively contributed to threads over the past couple of years to increase the exposure Tatsuya Ichihashi got throughout the world via Internet for his heinous crime.

Then Japan Today should turn around and give the money to Ms. Hawker's family to dispose of as they wish.

Moderator: Thanks for the suggestion.

But GW the surgery place had photos of him and the construction company guy must have told someone because they know about the construction company. If I remember preliminary articles did mention that they phoned in about the guy they suspected. So don't know where you are coming from.

plastic surgery should get minimum cuz they reported late. contruction company dude - same story. the dude at the fery - full 10 mil and then some. he basically did the cops job for them.

yeah the ferry dude should get it all. The other people said he was somewhere, the ferry guy told the police he is somewhere.

I could have told you he was in Chiba 3 years ago.

plastic surgery should get minimum cuz they reported late. contruction company dude - same story. the dude at the fery - full 10 mil and then some. he basically did the cops job for them.

Best post ever, that's right.

The person on the ferry should get most of, if not all of it. Of course if the previous information hadn't come out, then they wouldn't have noticed. But, the ferry person should definately get the bulk.

The plastic surgeon provided the big tip I think... My guess is when he did the surgery he had no idea... then afterwards he went "damn!!! That's why he wanted a new face!!!!"

He sent the before/after photo's to the police, which were the single biggest lead in my opinion.

As soon as the "after" photo was released, it took a day for the ferry driver to spot him, call the police, and have him arrested.

Wait a minute, regardless if the plastic surgery company informed the cops later, they did post the key photo which the media broadcasted nationwide which eventually allowed the construction worker and the ferry employee to realize Ichihashi's identity which eventually led to his arrest. Had the plastic surgery company not reported at all, they may not have found him at all.. as they say "better late than never"

The surgeon and the ferry guy should split it.

The surgeon did a good job identifying Ishihashi after he'd already had several surgeries elsewhere. Without the new photo all over the news, the construction company would never have realised, and the ferry dude wouldn't have been on the lookout.

hmm, im sure this kind of thing has been done in Japan before. Why not a little bit of research about this? Definitely the guy on the ferry should geta lion's share.

The plastic surgery place operated on him AFTER he had had several plastic surger operations, so prosecution would be rather difficult, even if they didn't react as fast. What tipped them off is that he didn't go to the follow up appointments.

The first place where he got plastic surgery, that one will go down bad.

my2sense - sad, and yet so true.

Saw this on the news the other night. Apparently since bounties have been posted for cooperation in criminal cases, there have been some 36 incidences of tips from the public leading to arrests. Of these 36 cases, in not one case has the committee for deciding who gets the cash actually recommended any payments to people who have given information. Furthermore, this Ichihashi case is the largest in terms of any possible payout, and if money actually leaves police coffers, it will be the first time that it has ever happened. Whoppy Do!!!

As such, I would recommend that the vigilant employees of the ferry terminal hold off on putting down deposits on new motor vehicles, etc, because you never know, the bureaucracy might still find a way to screw these responsible citizens out of their reward, deciding instead to pool any funds for more deserving causes, such as police drinking parties, etc.

The plastic surgeons should have said something a lot longer ago to get any sort of money. How can they act like they didn't know him when his poster is every where in Japan? If the plastic surgeon gets the money, than every person who has had an "Ichihashi sighting" should get money as well.

Now that's encouragement. Reward receivers trialed, reward split & divided then taxed. Can't be much, if any, in the end.

Legally, awards for tips should not be given out unless the tipster actually knew of the award. If the plastic surgery clinic knew nothing of the award, it should be given nothing (notwithstanding that it's information was arguably the most helpful). The tipster at the ferry terminal should probably get it all, since saying "I saw him in Nagoya last month" does not lead to an arrest. There has to be some causal connection between the tip and the arrest.

Combinibento! How can you suggest such a thing? It's criminal and almost as disgusting as when people say "I didn't know it was against the law to steal knickers from the washing line, so I can't be prosecuted." Of course people should get any reward for what they do, even if they didn't know about it. If you handed in a wallet with 2 million yen to the cops and the owner collected it, would you refuse the reward they might offer you just because you didn't know about it in advance?

People here seem to be split about whether the cosmetic surgery clinic should have reported him before. But as many have pointed out, he'd already had lots of surgery, including on his eyes, so he actually didn't look anything like Ichihashi. Nothing short of a long shot that someone noticed the slight resemblance IMHO, and if they hadn't grassed him up he'd still be free, with his new conk, maybe in Okinawa maybe not. But he sure as hell wouldn't be kept awake all night while the cops try to get him to confess all the details.

As I said before, 50% or so to the clinician for getting the ball rolling, 40% or so to the ferry person, and around 10% to the colleague for confirming that it was definitely Ichihashi.

Dammit,

Of course people should get any reward for what they do, even if they didn't know about it.

Wrong. Simple contractual principles, my friend. Tit for tat. "You do X, I give you Y." It's called consideration.

The assistant at the cosmetic surgery should get the lot (it wasn't the surgeon, but an assistant who saw his photo). If it weren't for the clinic assistant letting us all know what Ichihashi looked like now, neither the construction employee (lived and worked with Ichihashi for over a year !) nor the ferry terminal guy would have known who he was and Ichihashi would not have been caught this week.

I heard on the news that the Ferry Company is also a potential candidate for receiving the payout. I hope it doesn't turn out that way though, 10M to a company isn't such a big deal but to the guy working there it would change his life quite a bit.

Without the updated photo from the cosmetic clinic, the cops would have have zilch, the ferry dude would not have noticed anything, and the perp would be happily on his way. It was the photo that revived the case.

combini I think you are referring to the common law concept. Under the Civil Code of Japan knowledge of the reward is not required. Pls see article 529 at this link: http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail_main?id=1&vm=&re=

It's a no-brainer, as highlighted by WilliB. Without the photo from the cosmetic clinic Ichihashi would have strolled straight through Osaka port and onto the ferry for Okinawa. He may well have got his new passport as well. The idiot at the construction company who lived with Ichihashi for a year would not have realised anything.

Monetary reward is not necessary for citizens with ethics - just the satisfaction of having helped take a dangerous criminal off the streets is ample reward. If people need a cash incentive to do the right thing, it does not say much for their honesty.

Monetary reward is not necessary for citizens with ethics - just the satisfaction of having helped take a dangerous criminal off the streets is ample reward. If people need a cash incentive to do the right thing, it does not say much for their honesty.

meanwhile, in the real world...

Hirobito, you may be right, but I still think a logical reading of that statute is that it presumes the one who performed the act advertised did so based on the advertisement. But if you're right, it would seem under Japanese law the tipsters are entitled to an equal share. Thus, 50/50 for the clinician and the ferry worker.

The assistant at the surgery made the biggest discovery, without which none of the others would have recognized Ichihashi. The construction company guy probably did little other than keep the new photo in the news for another day.

As for the Ferry company, it was actually someone at the Kobe port who recognized him when he tried to buy a ticket to Okinawa. The ticket seller then called the other ports to tell them to keep an eye out, and the Osaka port worker(s) spotted him. The Kobe port worker should get as much as anyone in Osaka port.

The Ferry companies are suffering terribly these days, especially since the introduction of the 1000 yen Expressway Weekends. 10 million yen (minus taxes) to the company might keep a couple people employed for a year, but not much more than that. I suggest we all go out of our way to show our appreciation by taking a trip by ferry at the next possible opportunity and recommend that others do so as well!

I dunno about the ferry worker - he was just doing his job. Allowing a suspected murderer aboard a vessel is probably against some sort of company regulation, after all. I think the entire amount should go into a fund for psychological counseling for victims of violence.

I think the entire amount should go into a fund for psychological counseling for victims of violence.

Best idea by far on this topic.

I think the money should go to me :P

All kidding aside, I sure hate to be the one splitting the pot.

Personally I think this article is in poor taste.

Moderator: How about explaining why?

I volunteer to be a witness in any such investigation, if the price is right.

I think the entire amount should go into a fund for psychological counseling for victims of violence.

Why? Did this organisation catch him for us? Silly me, I thought it was a combination of civilians and police who caught him.

The winner will be the clinic - they got to take Ichihashi's money for services rendered, they turned in a picture of the "new" Ichihashi, AND they get part, if not all, of the reward money.

Why? Did this organisation catch him for us? Silly me, I thought it was a combination of civilians and police who caught him.

I think, though I may be wrong, Laguna is saying that the money would be better spent helping victims of crime rather than lining the pockets of people who were simply fulfilling their civic duty and made a phone call. Violent crimes can destroy families and lead to many other problems.

I remember a time when people wanted to help in cases like these simply to do the right thing, not hard cash. Times have changed, in every country, I guess.

Cash rewards aren't there to entice the average joe to do the right thing, they exist to give other criminals an incentive to rat out fugitives.

Yeah, that's true Altria - which is why I do agree that the Police offered the monetary reward. I'd just be a bit surprised if all these people - ferry staff, nurses, etc - want to fight it out for a share.

griff at 11:39 AM JST - 12th November

Monetary reward is not necessary for citizens with ethics - just the satisfaction of having helped take a dangerous criminal off the streets is ample reward. If people need a cash incentive to do the right thing, it does not say much for their honesty.

meanwhile, in the real world...

Now this riposte had me stifling a good belly laugh . . . . Nah, I couldn`t stifle it after all! Mine fingers are unsteady on the keyboard . . . .

Show me the money!!

I'm glad people have their priorities straight.

Yes it's true that the only way to get people helping out these days is to offer a financial reward, and that may have been a reason for these people to spill the beans, but Burakumin has a good point and we shouldn't really take the mickey. If Japanese society had principles about catching criminals like Ichihashi, then he may well have been a busted a long time ago by whoever helped him to escape from Chiba and by the construction company. He may well have been on the run for so long because a couple of people felt they didn't need to shop him.

Ashika1009:

SHHHH.

You had me at Monetary reward is not necessary for citizens with ethics.

Monetary rewards are a great way for criminals to mess up society more than they already do.

ok screw it give them all 10mil each hell its nothing compared to the way the govt usually wastes our taxes!!

Good to see Japan Today getting it's priorities straight and publishing news stories about the financial reward instead of any news on how the Ichihashi police interview is going...

Moderator: The Picture of the Day will answer your question. There is nothing wrong with our priorities.

Monetary rewards help get some people who have nothing better to do off their backsides and hunting the crooks down. it just so happens that in this particular case, the reward had nothing to do with the capture. You might also find that the girl's father pushed to have them offer this reward. Let it go.

Since offering monetary rewards is so effective, and the police force are show to be quite incapable and incompetent, maybe the government should just cut the police force by half and offer the rest of the police budget to bounty hunters. Police can just do the paper work and leave the real crime busting to vigilantes and bounty hunters!!!!

the doctor did the operation and received quite a sum then he reported it to get the promised reward...if ichihashi happened to escape to okinawa, the doctor would have only what ichihashi paid him....still he has something for himself.....

Burakumindes,

I think, though I may be wrong, Laguna is saying that the money would be better spent helping victims of crime rather than lining the pockets of people who were simply fulfilling their civic duty and made a phone call.

Yes, I know lol. But it really annoys me the way some here keep saying that the money should be given to the Hawkers, or some charity or other. It's none of their business, although I hope at least some of it does end up in one or both of those places. But the point is that if the people who helped with info are awarded some of the money, it's up to them, and them only, to decide what to do with it.

Hell, maybe they'll all say they'd like it donated somewhere and refuse to accept a penny. Or maybe they'll grab it with both hands and use it to make their life better, or a relatives, or use it to pay for a life-saving operation for a relative or friend - you see what I'm saying? No-one here knows about the people who might eventually be awarded the money, yet some people are assuming that they don't need this money for anything important and SHOULD hand it over to something approved of by them. Hawkers or charity in other words. These people should try being grateful that the evil scum is off the streets at last and stop moaning. (Is it ok to insult Ichihashi on here? I know it's against the rules to insult most people, but really, Ichihashi is surely an exception?)

the doctor did the operation and received quite a sum then he reported it >to get the promised reward...if ichihashi happened to escape to okinawa, >the doctor would have only what ichihashi paid him

Boggles the mind....

Lincolnlklim might have a point. Let's see where this leads...

The rational thing for people to do when they witness a crime is stop to consider what is in it for themselves before reporting it or trying to stop the perpetrator. Hey, if it takes a couple of hours to fill out the forms at the police station, then, seriously, we all have better things to do.

There should be an EBAY of crime information where authorities can bid to get good leads. That way, more heinous crimes can be identified by their higher bids, and we can let the child molesters and wife beaters off the hook because, let's face it: Money talks. Kids and beaten housewives just don't have a lot of money to pay for the best (would inform again Aplusplusplus) informants. Oh well. That's what kids and housewives get for being poor.

Also remember that the more widely the crime is publicized, the more we can forget about fair trials. We can just divert the funds we would normally use for prosecution and legal defense to paying the bounty hunters instead. No muss, no fuss. The public is going to make up its own mind anyway from watching dramatizations on Japan's Most Wanted. Fox will probably take over the legal system for free if we ask them.

Maybe we can all just forget our civic duties and do the rational thing instead. Then we can all be rich. After all, who are we kidding? The richer we are, the safer we are. Let the poor people stop crime for free. I would much rather have a society where I can cash in.