Police in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, have arrested a 57-year-old man and his 34-year-old son-in-law on suspicion of causing a public disturbance after they got into a fistfight with each other.
According to police, the two men starting punching each other in the face multiple times on a sidewalk at around 10:10 p.m. on Saturday, NTV reported. Several witnesses called police.
Police said the two men were intoxicated when they were arrested.
During questioning, the older man admitted to the charge, and was quoted by police as saying,"He hit me, so I just hit him back.” His son-in-law, who is a civil servant, denied the charge, saying he didn’t hit his father.
© Japan Today
20 Comments
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Ah_so
Isn't it amazing that a Saturday night punch up can get into the news in Japan?
リッチ
Society is breaking down. It’s the end of the world as we know it.
OssanAmerica
57 and 34 both drunk. Sounds fair.
Cegov in Tokyo
Sure, that might seem like a logical conclusion if you're new to Japan or not too familiar with how crime is reported to authorities and the media here. But news coverage doesn't reflect the actual crime or domestic violence levels, especially in Japan.
Marlon Brando
Nah, you can hardly determine crime levels based on a juicy tabloid gossip family feud piece.
@Japan Glimpsed
Thickening plot. Sapporo TV reports that the two are father and son, the latter a central government official.
https://www.stv.jp/news/stvnews/kiji/st88c3166de5e543ee99ea70da31569d94.html
mallace
Yeah, that's why it's in the news, not as some of the more naive commenters think it's because this was the only violent crime that day! lol
kurikuri
lol, the classic rose-coloured glasses comment. If only it were half true.
Zaphod
kurikuri
Nope, it is a statement of fact. It does not say Japan has no problems, it just puts things in perspective.
piskian
Well, it's better to air these grievances out in the open,than bottle them up and end up in the murder section,I suppose.
MilesTeg
At least they're communicating...LOL!
Abe234
Well , atleast they “REMEMBERED IT”. lol
餓死鬼
Maybe they had been listening to the 1973 Elton classic and decided that Saturday night was indeed alright for fighting.
factchecker
Sounds like a delightful family.
Daniel Neagari
First rule of Fight Club is.....
Claire
Well this will make for an awkward お正月 dinner. The only one I feel sorry for is the daughter / wife caught in the middle.
@Japan Glimpsed
Hokkaido News Hub clarifies that the younger man is a member of the Self-defense Forces. Neither has been named.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f5c0bb3eef5174ef0ba3344f3f818ff1412f2337
shogun36
They should have let them finish the fight, maybe throw some old eggs at them too
Halk
You got me, what's so amazing about it?
It's a local Hokkaido news story, though not national front-page news.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f5c0bb3eef5174ef0ba3344f3f818ff1412f2337
Martimurano
When will they ever learn - violence is never the answer, just keep their fists to themselves.
Best to just walk away and discuss it another time, preferably when they've sobered up.