Police on Friday night arrested a 38-year-old man who stabbed a passerby in front of Tokyo's Ueno Station.
According to police, they received a phone call just after 6 p.m., alerting them that a man was wielding a knife on the sidewalk, TBS reported. Police rushed to the scene and found a 46-year-old man with blood running down his leg. He had sustained minor injuries after having been stabbed in the right leg and buttocks by a man dressed in jeans, a hat and a mask.
The suspect, identified as Akira Tomabechi, was still at the scene and was subdued by police. Police said Tomabechi had no fixed address or job and that he did not know the man he had attacked.
Tomabechi was quoted by police as saying, “I wanted to go to jail. That's why I stabbed someone," TBS reported.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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morrison
Well, mission accomplished.
Mirai Hayashi
Pathetic slob. I hope they give him a seriously hard time in prison so he realizes that prison isn't a slophouse for the homeless.
Horenzo
Well its looks like its time to build a prison industrial complex here to house the millions of those that say and do:
“I wanted to go to jail" "I wanted to know what its like to kill someone", "I wanted to see the insides of a body", "I just lost my temper and went on a murder spree." etc.
Many global elite "capitalist" view the prison industrial complexes as quite profitable for the host governments, by providing a huge cheap manpower labor force, and enormous revenues.
sensei258
Unemployed homeless man wanted a warm place to sleep and three meals a day. Nothing wrong with that.
Radie McDibyoe
LoL there are better ways to go to jail. I suppose he couldn't just go the police and ask whether he could stay in jail for the night? :p
StormR
sensei
yeah sure its just the method used to obtain those things was wrong, how about get a job and work to get those things, like some of us have to actually do and get off our arses everyday.
Useless waste of skin and space stabbing someone coz he wanted to go to jail, sheeesh want a wonk.
BurakuminDes
It would have far better for everyone - and more "honourable" in a traditional Japanese sense - if this nutjob had just stabbed himself in his miserable hovel, instead of an innocent man.I just hope the poor victim recovers fully.
shinhiyata
I am not surprised because Ueno station is kinda creepy. That railway overpass on the way to the park is teeming with mentally ill homeless derelicts like the perpetrator in this story. It's always comforting to see the Buddhist monks handing out onigiri to the destitute but a much more concerted effort needs to be made by many more social and mental health agencies at this location ( I know, I know, this is Japan and the mental health stigma is a huge barrier for this culture). While the perpetrator in this story did commit a violent crime, it might not have become a police matter if the large population of mentally ill homeless around Ueno station were the focus of a serious program to get these people some help. But until then, I doubt the posters above will be able to provide any worthwhile answers to this tragic problem.
DaDude
Pretty sure you wouldn't say that if you were stabbed in the leg. That is the type of comment you would say about a guy who steals a stick of gum not attempted homicide.
YuriOtani
shinhiyata I agree with you like where is their compassion? There has to be a way to help them help themselves. Filling up the prisons should never be the answer.
sensei258
I guess all you thumbs downers never heard of using sarcasm to make a point. Of course it's wrong.
missbatten
Help them help themselves? Why yes, we have the 2006 Services and Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, http://eiyaku.hounavi.jp/eigo/h17a12301.php which helpfully makes local authorities responsible for those "resident" in their areas.
These authorities can but are not required to consider specialist medical advice or advice from service providers in direct contact with applicants for services or support. I keep hearing of cases where municipal authorities tell direct service providers that they must reduce the number of those they report as "eligible" for level 1 or 2 benefits....if they refuse to comply by reporting that applicants are mysteriously improved or cured, the service providers are threatened with removal of their permission to operate at all.
There has been a consistent push over the past few years to reduce the number of disabled people (especially those with mental illnesses) on disability benefits. We can see the rising numbers of mentally ill people (homeless and otherwise) on the streets; where are the rising numbers of ex-beneficiaries in stable employment and accommodation?
Scrote
A bit of shoplifting would have achieved his aim of going to jail without anyone getting hurt.
wowyz
@sensei "I guess all you thumbs downers never heard of using sarcasm to make a point. Of course it's wrong."
Don't worry about it, because most native English speakers understand what is logical and common sense, its usually the sick JN image protector trolls, who cant stand the truth, or criticism of Japan's losers, obviously they have not encountered a Japanese American such as myself, who would put them in their place in America, quickly. I'll share a secret with you, most Japanese American's know what's up with Japan, that's why we live in other countries.
Yokota
@Horenzo. "Well its looks like its time to build a prison industrial complex here"
I agree, and part of the profits could be used to build more psychiatric clinic complexes!
quercetum
There are so many Soapies here that they need to build a Rikers Island.
Serrano
They need to put up more "Stabbing Prohibited" signs in public areas.
And this Tomabechi guy needs to be slapped upside the head and put to hard labor in the prison for a while.
kaimycahl
No fixed address and stabbing someone because he wanted to go to jail basically is a homeless nut. At least in jail he will get room and board and 3 meals a day. That's why he want to go to jail.
Christopher Glen
What a very convenient thing to say