Police in Hiroshima have arrested a 64-year-old man on suspicion of assault after he punched a pachinko parlor employee in the back on Sunday afternoon over a face mask request.
According to police, the man was visiting the pachinko parlor in Asaminami Ward at around 1:30 p.m., TBS reported. He was approached by a 46-year-old male employee who asked him to wear a mask. The man refused and then punched the employee in the back as he walked away.
Police were called and the suspect was detained. Police said the suspect was intoxicated at the time of his arrest and quoted him as saying he “doesn’t remember” the incident. The employee was not hurt.
© Japan Today
35 Comments
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wtfjapan
'No, I'm not wearing a mask ever again in my life.'
unless you go into a private business or persons house then youll do what they state, if you dont like it you can leave, its that simple
James
Depends if the private establishment would allow it just because the government says regulations surrounding masks are removed doesn't mean it is allowed. And not wearing one in such an establishment would still be a crime obstruction of a business.
sir_bentley28
Yubaru
He got arrested, so yeah......he did lose! haha
Fighto!
Maybe you should be this old man's lawyer? "Your honor...it's not a serious offense! There's nothing wrong with punching members of the public - its just trivial!"
Or...perhaps respect the laws of Japan.
oyattosa!!!
assault from a 65 years old??? A serious offense??? Go read your mangas son
Fighto!
Maybe in your world assaulting a worker - by a coward punch from behind - is "trivial".
In Japan it is not - it is an arrest able offense - as this perp has discovered.
oyattosa!!!
I am amazed how many individuals have time to waste commenting on this.. What next Stolen bikes? A cat got runover and someone saw it? It rained for 37 seconds? A man in Osaka bougfht an expired snacke and wanted his money back??? Seriously...
Chottobaka
Classic excuse.
WA4TKG
Keep in mind , this is a NATIONAL News Headline, lol
starpunk
Say 'I don't remember', huh? Is that all these noobs have to say? What a dope.
smithinjapan
Ah, the "I was drunk and don't remember" excuse again. So tried and true here. And you gotta love how betting is illegal in Japan, too.
nosuke
Of course this is way to often with every drunk as those japanese chu-hi are design to cause a black-out (basically your blacked out and your doing things with zero concious its like sleep walking until you wake up) with zero recollection after someone tells you what you did and your say "I did what??" Of course not much excuse to it but its the booze fault and the goverment for making booze legal when its a poison drug that invokes violence behavior. They know this and thats how the Police make even more money for arresting every drunk out there in the streets. If they would make booze illegal to drink or posses this would solve soo many issues we have in this world.
ian
What, seemed the employee asked him but did let it go when he refused
kaimycahl
@Jay Correct me if I am wrong but you wrote "I can understand the frustration" that does that mean its oke to strike someone out of frustration? Is that the way you solve an issue?
Considering the lifting of mask ordinances were to occur just a day later, I can understand the frustration.
Reminds me of the time I was told to stand inside a square painted on the floor along with other visitors as I waited for the elevator to the top of the Skydeck in Mori Tower. I asked what difference standing 10cm outside of the square would make, to which the response was a teeth-sucking sound and a "it's a rule."
BritishGaijin
If he didn't want to wear a mask in the pachinko and enjoy inhaling all the smoky fumes, why couldn't he have waited until a single day later when the mask mandate was gone? Idiot.
3RENSHO
Amanda Today 06:32 pm JST
"Based." [sic]
Based upon what?
Alan Bogglesworth
The masks, that mask,,,,just leave the masks at home
Yubaru
Looks like some folks dont even know how to read. The mandate changed today, not yesterday!
Chico3
Yeah sure; the “I was drunk” defense. Amazing that the employee wasn’t hurt after the punch. I’m glad they arrested the pachinko player.
SwissToni
Not to condone the man’s behaviour but at least he was there and not bravely lashing out from the safety of his bedroom.
Masks were still a thing on Sunday, and from Monday, private businesses have every right to require masks. Private citizens also have the right to make a protest by not spending money in the business.
Amanda
Based.
Pickle
His punishment should be the employee using a facemask like a David and Goliath style sling to launch pachinko balls at him.
JustAGoodOleBoy
Pachinko Parlor worker was just following his boss's orders. Can't blame him.
OssanAmerica
Business' continue to maintain the right to ask customers to wear masks in their establishments. Drunk, playing pachinko at 1:30 pm. And clobbers a person from behind. What a productive member of society. LOL
purple_depressed_bacon
I guess beer in Japan is made with the waters from Lethe since so many of these intoxicated numbskulls pull out the "I don't remember" excuse.
garypen
LOL people don't understand what they read? Masks are still a thing at some businesses, if they choose to require it, as allowed by the new rules.
nosuke
Lol people don’t read the news ??? Mask not a thing or mandatory anymore
Lord Dartmouth
No need to punch or shout. Just say 'No, I'm not wearing a mask ever again in my life.'
Yubaru
Trying to put a round human in a square hole!
Yubaru
Drunk playing pachinko......lol! Bet he lost!
Jay
Considering the lifting of mask ordinances were to occur just a day later, I can understand the frustration.
Reminds me of the time I was told to stand inside a square painted on the floor along with other visitors as I waited for the elevator to the top of the Skydeck in Mori Tower. I asked what difference standing 10cm outside of the square would make, to which the response was a teeth-sucking sound and a "it's a rule."
Fighto!
64 year old violent loser. Punching a man in the back, really tough eh, old jerk?
Throw the book at him.