Police in Kyoto have arrested a 66-year-old man on suspicion of arson and property damage after he set fire to cardboard boxes in front of a store, causing damage to the building.
Police said Katsuaki Awazu, of no fixed address, has admitted to the allegation and quoted him as saying, "I was tired of living on the streets. It was cold, so I thought I'd warm myself up,” Sankei Shimbun reported.
The incident occurred at around 4:10 a.m. on Monday in front of a retail store in Nakagyo Ward. The fire damaged part of the store's wall.
A passerby who noticed the fire called 110, and no one was injured.
© Japan Today
4 Comments
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sakurasuki
It's common outside Japan for homeless people to warm themselves by burning something that can provide warm. However in Japan, those homeless are being expected to have hypothermia, that's Japan.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-burn-barrels-positive-approach-harm-reduction-1.6327830
shogun36
When prison is the better option, you've hit rock bottom.
HopeSpringsEternal
At least he was honest, being stuck in the cold is no fun!
Kazuaki Shimazaki
sakurasukiDec. 11 07:03 am JST
Since he ended up burning up the building too, I doubt that would be acceptable even in Canada.