crime

Man dies after being beaten in Roppongi club

99 Comments

A man died after he was beaten by a gang of about 10 men wearing ski masks in a club in Roppingi early Sunday morning.

According to police, they received a call from the club Flower at about 3:40 a.m., reporting trouble, NTV reported. Witnesses were quoted as saying that a gang of about 10 men came into the club. Some were brandishing metal bats and attacked a 31-year-old man who was drinking with friends.

The attack lasted about 1-2 minutes, witnesses said. The gang left immediately after the assault and got away in a van, police said. The victim, who was identified as Ryosuke Fujimoto, was taken to hospital with severe head injuries, but was pronounced dead.

Police said there were about 300 people in the club at the time, but no one else was injured, NTV reported.

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99 Comments
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Obviously the victim upset someone. Certainly not a random attack and anyone who steps up to 10 guys clearly on a mission is a fool. Random attack by one guy? Fine. 10 guys with a plan, dumb. Come on, don't try and play the hero in this situation.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

He was attacked by 10 cowards...

10 ( +13 / -3 )

That's some dress code they've got going there. And they were let in with sporting equipment?

10 ( +11 / -1 )

couversaka.

Yeah sure. If he was a trained shooter and everyone of his 10 shots was a kill, long odds. Time to get into reality and out of Hollywood.

Seen the recent empire building shooting where all the civilian casualties were hit by cop bullets/richochets?

10 ( +14 / -4 )

I wonder if the US Embassy advisory warning American citizens not to go drinking in Roppongi is still in effect...

8 ( +8 / -1 )

It was obviously impossible to intervene against 10 people with baseball bats. Each of them is violent in a professional capacity and was armed. A blow to the head with a bat would probably kill - an attempt to intervene would have been suicide.

This sounds like a gangland assassination - despite the ski masks I bet the victim knew exactly who was attacking him and why.

A good time to remember why Roppongi is such a dump and to be avoided.

7 ( +8 / -2 )

Step up behind one of the thugs on the fringe, one quick stab to the kidneys (left or right, you choose!). Step back into the crowd, repeat two or th, yada, yada, yada

This aint Double Dragon mate. The headline would read "two dead" if you tried it.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@ Frungy

They only arrive AFTER the incident.

It'd be quite an achievement for the cops to arrive BEFORE the incident. Regulation-issue crystal balls, perhaps?

6 ( +5 / -0 )

but it would be hard to sit still and watch someone be killed. How about you?

That's a reasonable question. First, unless you were very close to the action, it's hard to determine if the person is actually being killed or merely being administered a nasty beating. (It possible the killers themselves didn't intend to murder him, since baseball bats are less certain to do the job than would be cutting instruments or guns). Second, I have been in restaurants where brawls, etc., broke out spontaneously and again unless one is close to the action it's hard to know who instigated it and why. Also, they were over in a matter of seconds. All I noticed were some noises, grunts, shouts and thumps, and then they were dashing for the exit. I actually think my presence at another incident may have restrained the yakuza from becoming too violent. Anyway I'll be very disappointed if the police don't go through Minato Ward with a fine-toothed comb hunting down these clowns. It was premeditated and vicious and whoever did it (and his boss) deserve long prison sentences.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

This is what happens when citizens are disarmed. Even one legally-armed civilian with a pistol could have put a swift end to this murderous rampage

Pretty daft comment, what you seem to want wud liley have MULTIPLE DEATHS & who knows how many wounded, its a good thing most countries AINT like the US when it comes to firearms!

5 ( +6 / -2 )

and only 10 assailants, even with bats... well...couldn't they have stopped this?

Farmboy@if the 10 assailants were (as appears likely) members of the Kanto Rengo, the nastiest and most violent gang in the capital, would you have gallantly intervened?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

The gang left immediately after the assault and got away in cars

How could they get away that fast in cars in Roppongi on a Saturday night? Every time I went there, traffic was at a stand still at all hours. You could normally walk much faster than drive.

So sad, RIP for the victim. Curious, does anyone know what is the clientel that goes to this club? Is it a Hip-Hop type club with foreigners or mainly Japanese only?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Roppongi is a craphole, and all kinds of illicit activity goes on there, including drug sales, fights and so on.

But frankly, 10 guys running into a club and bashing a targeted patron to death does not make me worry about going to Roppongi.. This is so clearly a gang hit of some sort, all this teaches you is that if you get into trouble with mobsters, clubs in Roppongi are not the best place to lie low.

What interests me most about this is the method. I've never heard of a commando baseball bat raid hit like this in 15 years here. You get people pushed in front of trains, swords, real yaks will involve guns, you have kidnappings, dismemberments, bodies going missing, rapes of loved ones. All kinds of horror stories of mob revenge on people. But this is unlike anything I've ever heard of in Japan.

It reminds me of scenes from Hong Kong gangster movies - Beast Cop or something like that. I'll be very interested to hear the story behind this, and of course hope that those responsible for this, as clear pros in a planned assassination, are dealt with as harshly as the law allows (which in the case of a single murder, under current convention, is life - death penalty only applies to multiple murders). Anyway, very disturbing if this signals the start of a new wave of violent organized crime in Tokyo.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@couversaka Except then wouldn't they have pistols too? 10 guys with bats can take out one person. One person with a pistol can take out 10 people. Don't be naive.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

STOP ! PLEASE STOP ! " If I was there.... blah blah blah " No more talk about guns, No more Jet Li - Steven Segal - Chuck Norris action moves advice.

No body can't karate chop 10 different guys with baseball bats. IMPOSSIBLE Unless the ghost of Bruce Lee takes over your body.

HERE'S THE FLOOR PLAN OF THE CLUB. http://studio-flower.jp/floor.html

The club is mainly Japanese Hip Hop Music. http://studio-flower.jp/schedule.html

THE CLUB WAS DARK INSIDE.

I've been there several times it's huge. I think it was more than 10 people. How can they I.D. this guy so quick ??? They probably had somebody inside the club watching his every move on the phone or texting where this guy was at inside the club.

The 10 people knew what the victim was wearing and where was he located inside the club.

CLUBS especially Roppongi clubs are dark & smokey !!!!!

It will be a MIRACLE if they get the 10 men. The crappy police in Tokyo will just get a $$$$ payoff to look the other way.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

seems as though they wanted to send a message. Otherwise they would have just a couple guys to knife him as he staggered home.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

People not standing up to help is called the bystander effect. You would have more chance of someone helping if there were only one person to help, the more around the less chance and if 6 people or more are around the chance of some one stepping in to help is almost 0. Its documented in psychology books. I wonder why the guy was targeted?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This is what happens when citizens are disarmed. Even one legally-armed civilian with a pistol could have put a swift end to this murderous rampage.

Yeah, Japanese society would be much better off if everyone had guns just like the U.S., where people on university campuses and in cinema complexes get randomly murdered.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Everyone is giving wise advice about not stepping in and trying something to prevent a beating. And maybe you're all right.

But because everyone thinks like this, basically one or 3 or 10 men can beat up and murder and probably rape anyone in the middle of Tokyo in front of dozens or hundreds.

So, you all have good advice, but try just once to imagine it's your son or loved one who is on the receiving end of a beating surrounded by a crowd.

And also remember that when for some reasons you are set upon, crying for help won't work, because all the clever wise people will leave you at the mercy of the thug or thugs.

2 ( +3 / -2 )

what kind of bouncer lets in 10 masked men?

What kind of bouncer can stop a herd of 10 thugs with bats ?

it would be hard to sit still and watch someone be killed. How about you?

Would be hard to intervene in 2 minutes against a gang like that. That's like a shooting. I guess people around realized when that was over.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This sounds like a gambling debt hit. @ its Me, a truly dangerous person does not brag nor does he tell of his exploits, he just sits quietly in the corner and says nothing until action is needed.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

New information coming in - The victim enters the club at 3am, sits at his usuall VIP seat with friends and is already attacked 40 min later. Some information now circulating on the net suggesting the possibility for this to be a revenge of a similar incident which occurred last December in a kyabakura in roppongi where key members of Yamaguchi-gumi who were drinking there were suddenly attacked by 20 or so men with beer bottles and metal pipes following a small quarrel on the streets. May explain how these 10 guys got in so easily, armed with metal bats and pipes and why it had to take place inside a club (which sounds unprofessional). These major clubs in roppongi are known to be pretty tight on security and should nonetheless be a major blow for the club (Flower) especially as they were starting to enjoy business growth following the closure of alife in Nishizazabu last month (which in itself seems to have its own interesting set of accompanying background stories.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

electric2004:

" The club owner could have: " (snip)

The club owner could have done none of these wonderful things that you suggest with 20/20 hindisight vision. The club owner most likely did not even know what had happened until it was over.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

For all of you posing questions like, "How did they get past the bouncers?" or "How were they let in with bats and pipes?", truly need to try and read between the lines. If 10 guys show up in ski masks with bats and pipes, there is little 2-4 bouncers (and I really doubt there could of been more than 2 at the door) could do. It's not the movies. As for getting the weapons in they obviuosly just carried them and they pushed by the bouncers. What do you assume they walked up to the club with the masks off and the weapsons down their pants or under their shirts, paid the cover charge....The majority of the comments in this thread are pretty good but a few are pretty much lacking any logic

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Facing 10 to 1 odds is bad news in anyone's book.

Also doubt all the 300 Patrons were guys ready to lay it down for an unknown, how many were women?

Not sure what went down but my guess is he stepped on some serious toes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Does sound like a gangland hit. Possibly this guy owes someone bigtime and knew sooner or later they'll be after him. Wouldn't be surprised if he knew he was marked. With 10 guys on him I wonder if packing some heat would've done him any good... assuming he could even get one in Japan.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@couversaka This is what happens when citizens are disarmed. Even one legally-armed civilian with a pistol could have put a swift end to this murderous rampage.**

Great idea, guns in bars and nightclubs just in case trouble breaks out, especially since all legal gun-holders know what's to be done in this kind of situation. When even our trained professionals screw-up with firearms, I believe the last thing we need are vigilantes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Sounds like criminals beating criminals, there's obviously a back story here we all don't know.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Roppongi can be quite raw but violence of this scale is an incident and probable related to rivalry between criminal organizations. Not club/area//city/country related

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It"S MESep. 02, 2012 - 06:43PM JST Frungy nice idea but unrealistic. Break the bottle the wrong way and someone just needs to grab your fist and squeeze. Seen it happen as his hand was full of glass-shards.

You've just got to know the right way to do it. Unfortunately it involves wasting an entire beer :( . I don't think I like random strangers enough to waste an entire beer saving them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

More likely you take one guy down and face 3-4 guys beating up on you while the original beating continues.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@It's me

What you say is exactly right. But to intervene doesn't always mean fighting.

And like I said, just imagine that the victim is your son or husband, or the old man is your father. Most of us would like to think that someone would do something.

This particular incident probably happened so fast that people didn't even believe or understand what they were seeing though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This still cant affect the Roppongi addiction for most of the visiting people!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

10 men in ski masks, attack one guy in 60-120 seconds then split, sounds very targeted hit to me, maybe Yakuza or some other criminal vs criminal dispute vs some random attack.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Only shock from this news is how these guys were even allowed entry in possession of metal bats. This happening inside the club should at least have been prevented.

@alliswellinjapan they probably showed their members card or they had an accomplice on the inside?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For all the keyboard warriors here: the club was rushed by ten organized, violent guys on a mission. There was nothing the security staff or anyone else could have done to stop this.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

electric2004:

" a fight from getting out of control "

This was not a "fight getting out of control", this was an organized hit. Apples and oranges.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's in the story. The club's name is Flower.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Can't comment conclusively until there's more information, but it has all the signs of a drug related murder. THAT IS some message. We truly can be an appalling animal.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Frungy nice idea but unrealistic.

Break the bottle the wrong way and someone just needs to grab your fist and squeeze. Seen it happen as his hand was full of glass-shards.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I wonder what the nationality of the victim was......................geez, Fujimoto sounds like a Japanese to me.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Roppongi is one of the best places in Japan to go out late at night and have fun. Albeit, there are many screwed up people there and much hassling from all the Nigerians. You have to know where to go and just stay away from the crap places.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I am so sad after listing this bad news, my question is that where was the security of the club? As per my personal thinking, in this happened club was involve and that 10 person was the security persons of the club.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

first of all, what kind of bouncer lets in 10 masked men?

second of all, 10 people are called in to take care of 1 guy?

third of all, who were the witnesses because if i'm in a club and something like that happens, I'm not hanging around!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Readers, please stay on topic. The gun control debate in the U.S. is not relevant to this discussion.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

When I was in Japan I lived about four three blocks from this club. Used to walk by it at least twice a day on the way to and from the station. It is on the second floor of the ROI building. Terrible to hear someone died there. But it would be a good spot to get away quickly from as you could go right down the hill and be in Azabu Juban in less than 30 seconds. May he rest in peace.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

OK, I understand that the throw down was too quick for most bystanders to really comprehend what was happening, but what about his friends? Were they together when he got whacked? If so, what the hell did they do?

The other sad thing, in my opinion, is that 10 on 1 does not necessarily mean a gang hit in Japan. The way these folks man up (or down), is in numbers. It always seems like it is a gang of teens out burning down the homeless man's tent, or three men and a woman beating down the Napalese man. Sad, but the Japanese are such pussies.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

the guy was beaten when drinking with friends. brave friends. and yeah, I would have gotten involved.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

With the number of surveillance cameras in the area that would capture the men prior to and after entering the club, as well as their vehicle, it will be a scandal if the police say that they have no suspects.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Clearly this was a gang hit, and not a random act of violence. It has no impact on the safety or normal Roppongi partiers either way.

Would be interesting to know the back story, but I do not expect we will ever get to hear that. If this was mob related, the involved parties shut up, and the cops are not enthusiastic to solve it. Maybe some fall guy takes the blame and goes to jail so the case can be "closed".

Over the years, there have been many cases like that in Japan. It is really business as usual... just the way some parts of society settle their disputes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

One more reason to skip Roppongi. If I'm going to any place to have a good time, I would not want to see this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How can they I.D. this guy so quick ??? They probably had somebody inside the club watching his every move on the >phone or texting where this guy was at inside the club.

Or a member of them was already in the club, knew where he was, went outside to inform the rest and led the way when they barged in.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dennis Bauer:

@alliswellinjapan they probably showed their members card or they had an accomplice on the inside?

Don't think that would an excuse for the club to overlook possession of metal bats upon entry.

If lax checking of personal belongings were actually the norm it may be more surprising that we hadn't been seeing more incidents of this nature occur in these clubs before - Should have better idea of what this incident says about the general safety in roppongi once we have more background details.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@It"S MESEP

Yeah sure. If he was a trained shooter and everyone of his 10 shots was a kill, long odds. Time to get into reality and out of Hollywood.

I swear by my 28" Aluminum, but if you're talking gun vs aluminum bat, I will take smallest caliber firearm any day of the week against 5 men wielding bats. That hand-to-hand, duke it out stuff is ALL Hollywood, not even the most highly trained special forces will attempt to go hand-to-hand,( except as last resort) matter of fact, they won't even give them a chance. (BUT Tokyo-ites do NOT need to be armed, much less the worthless JCops)

Times like this, JCops need to do their job and go after Yakiuza and these kinds of thugs, NOT harass people riding bikes.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@kurumazaka

I just love all the "hero" talk here. "Supergaijin" saves the day! Because we all know that local mobsters won't do anything violent in OUR presence as they will be too busy wetting their trousers in fear! Guess what, fellow gaikokujintachi? Yakuza are not afraid of us! And none of us would have been able to do crap to stop a mob hit. Stop pretending.

Your obviously someone who should be the no.1 follower of your own advice.

Sun Tzu - know your enemy, know their weaknesses. (it goes without saying you should know your own strengths and weaknesses) Yakuza strength is in numbers.

I like how people who've had ZERO percent REAL contact with these kinds of people, can make such assertions.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I totally agree with Hikozaemon . If this was a yakuza attack they wouldn't waste time in a club but wait at his home and shoot or stab him. The fact no one else not even his friends were hurt seems to indicate this man has done something very serious to someone ... not pissed off the yukuza. Men in masks with baseball bats could be " normal" guys getting revenge ? We really don't know yet if his friends did try and stop them so no point saying no one stepped in to help. .... roppongi is just a place with a ton of clubs loads of gaijin and full on nightlife ! Love it or hate it but I have never felt unsafe there.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is such a bizarre story. Why ten guys? They'd get in each others' way. I can't even picture ten people beating someone to death with bats. There wouldn't be room to swing without hitting the gut next to you. And now there are ten suspects, which makes the cops' job a lot easier than if there were just two or three. Madness....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

annvi:

" If this was a yakuza attack they wouldn't waste time in a club but wait at his home and shoot or stab him "

No. There is no set recipe for Yakuza killings, especially if they are inter-gang squabbles.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Advise! In situations like this, if you're ever in the vicinity of something like this, never play hero and try to step in.

These guys were well calculated totally planned. The knew exactly who was the target, and they knew exactly where this guy was. This is some past beef between the parties.

10 guys, masked with metal pipes and bats. Stay far far away! If you play hero, you're playing with your life.

And who knows why they went after this guy. Drug deal gone wrong, money owed, this guy (victim) beat up one of the attackers previously, had an affair with attackers wife or girl friend, ??? could be anything.

10 guys armed and masked on 1 guy is extremely coward behavior... BUT this is how it goes down in the underworld.

Best thing is to mind your own business and be a friendly or neutral in this type of thing.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Alphaape:

" I wonder what the nationality of the victim was "

TV says the victim was japanese, and he was the manager of a restaurant in Shibuya Center Gai. A reasonable speculation would be that this has to do with protection money, as you can be certain that every restaurant owner in Center Gai is paying this or facing the consequences.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I love all the experts on here - "They could have... I would have..." Sure thing, bud. You have split second reaction time, can instantly assess a situation accurately and have no problem taking on 10 armed men at once, who clearly have an objective and are well planned out. Nice to know that we have several underground super heroes amongst us...

The poor guy messed with the wrong crew... Since he was a bar/restaurant owner, most likely refused to pay them off.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

WilliB:

Well, I was talking about what I have seen as action in German dance clubs to prevent small signs indicating a start of a fight from getting out of control. Talking about risk assessment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Roppongi is just fine. Been out too many times there with no trouble at all. even been to this club and it was full of honeys and people having a good time. This looks like a crime related incident - could happen anywhere.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is why I don't go to clubs. Drama like this is always occurring. Sad that this man had his life beaten out of him. Each of those 10 guys has karma waiting for them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

1 - 2 minutes of beating on a human being with clubs while 299 other "supposed" human beings simply watched. Sounds more like those 299 were mice in human costumes. "Safe" Japan? Apparently only for the gangs. How else would you explain 10 murderers walking into a club WITH CLUBS and procede to beat a person to death and have no fear that they would be stopped?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Fujimoto Ryosuke (the murder victim) was a restaurant owner in a popular downtown metropolitan district (Shibuya). His murder was perpetrated by an organized gang of assailants who managed to track him down (with precision) at a nightclub in another popular downtown metropolitan district (Roppongi). This case bears all the classic hallmarks of an organized crime OC group taking vindictive action after being denied their demands for "protection money" payments from a restaurateur or shop owner. Idle talk about wicked ways in Roppongi or Kabukicho (or the pernicious presence of malevolent foreigners in Japan) is simply a red herring distracting law enforcement from their proper case objectives. Diligent investigations of shake-down operations taking place at businesses in the Shibuya district is the proper starting point for authorities. Having police focus all of their "efforts" on "catching" "mysterious assailants" is exactly what the OC oya-bun heads want. So long as they can continue to pinch independent business owners in Shibuya for cash whatever happens to their little league thugsters is insignificant.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

the security guard in the Flower should responsible for this case. why do they not try to stop the assasination happen?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He could very wellve been a member of their gang. Didn't turn over the right percent for the drug sales, caught some retribution.

Guns, yeah right, real good idea. For getting innocent bystanders hurt.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

rickivee.

third of all, who were the witnesses because if i'm in a club and something like that happens, I'm not hanging around!

Good point, Recall a Bike-Rally when the Hells Angels were allowed to attend again.

Lets just say me and my Bike-club left ASAP after seeing a member brandishing a gun running across tables to get to a rival club-member.

Hells Angels were/are banned for attending rallies, hotels, etc.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

this is not new.. There is a club there near DonQ, I always see thugs going inside there with a metal baseball bat hidden on his t-shirt (hip hop style shirt that are loose).

I guess even the police can't even do something about this.... maybe they should at least be equipped with some guns

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Shocking how these guys were even allowed entry in possession of metal bats. Whatever it was about, this happening inside the club should at least have been prevented.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

kurumazaka:

Alliswellinjapan, you are assuming these guys stopped at the front to show ID?

Not assuming anything. Could have gone in through the back door for all I know. Still, not so often (if any) that we hear about these "hits( no doubt)" occuring inside the clubs of roppongi, which suggests two possibilities - either the club took part at the cost of the future of the club's business just to make sure the hit succceeds or overall checking at these clubs had tended to be generally loose. If the flow of new information to be reported by the media or curculated through the internet on this turns out to be slow it's pretty clear that organized crime groups of relative power should be behind this. Otherwise I'm sure we'll have access to more detailed information to have clearer picture in due course.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That victim might have done wrong to the gang and avenged.. Only the victim and the assailants knows why. Sorry for him.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Hmmm. Very interesting. Very sad. I was in Roppongi earlier this year for a short trip from overseas to promote my new novel "Roppongi." I really thought that Roppongi had to a large degree these days become homogenised and sanitised since I was working there in the mid-90's - when it truly was a dangerous place full of gangsters and violence. With this incident it seems it still is dangerous - not so much for normal clubbers/partiers, but certainly for folks mixed up in the underworld. This was clearly a targeted hit (whether they meant to kill him or not) - and it will be up to the Police to figure out whether it was Yak-related. My feeling is that it certainly is gang/Yak related - nobody else would be organised/brazen/committed enough to be able to get ten guys together in ski-masks to storm a club like this and pull this off so quickly. I will watch with some interest to see what headway (if any) is made in this case. For anyone who's interested, the website for "Roppongi" the Novel is: http://www.roppongithenovel.com/

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The real problem here is that the cops are on the y's side. I've heard several stories of the cops siding with the Y or just ignoring these attacks. They only arrive AFTER the incident.

That's pretty much the major issue here. If I as a gaijin would have stepped up and tried to help, and if the perps were Yakuza or some other crime family, guess who would be the one in front of the media as a suspect. I would since it would be easier for the J-cops to assume that a foreigner has something to do with it, and to take the heat off them and their investigation. I am sure that this may not get solved in anythime soon, if as people here suggest the cops knowing who is doing what in the gangland.

I wonder what the nationality of the victim was, and if anyone had any clues as to the suspects nationalities. It seems to me that when I used to go to clubs, especially where us foreigners used to go they were pretty strict at screening you before you go in. And if it is anything like a typical Roppongi club with one narrow entrance and exit point, having 10 guys bum rush out of there without hitting some bystanders tells me the owners of the club may know who have done this.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Those who was In the club and vitnessed please contact. Annonimity guaranteed.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's in the story. The club's name is Flower.

Wow! Really? Somehow I read they called from a Flower shop. Must have been the hangover. Thanks anyway mod.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Roppongi is a dump and there are Yaks all over that place! I have lived here neally 17 years and I have been there less than 10 times because it is a dump!! The bad areas always attract crime!!!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Roppongi is a slum which I will never visit again.

Drugs gangs and garbage everywhere.

Roppongi needs an enema and needs one real quick.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Hangover 3?

I'd say that guy was dealing in the club and not welcome..

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

War and conflict is NOT a game but real people die. Families on both sides lose loved ones and it ain't easy to take a life.

Those 10 guys didn't care and are lower than animals, IMHO. I feel for every life I took and am in touch with their families, most understand and we are close.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The club owner could have:

-closed the doors

-switched all lights on (then one can see better what happens)

or switches all lights OFF (hitting a target in dark is more difficult)

-playing a police siren sound over the PA system of the club

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

This is extremely rare here. I hope visitors keep coming and spending money.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The news on Nitere were a lot more comprehensive on the details of this story. Accordibg to an eye witness (1of many) the victim was targeted and beaten. Nonetheless, one thing the assailants did not take in to question was ALL the cameras that face to and from this corner of Rippongi. Plate numbers were taken, the victims cell phone (multiple) records are being looked at and the victims family and friends are being questioned. Not to mention, the cameras that are at the entrance and the cameras of the convenience store are ALL being looked at too. These criminals will not get away with it that easy. There too much data and video going against them at this point. They are looking everything. Nothing is being overlooked. This time they have a team of investigators that are especially trained for this type of crime. Let's see what unfolds in the next couple of days.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

MeanRingo.

Exactly most fights end in 20 seconds or less, add in a crowded club or bar and most people won't notice it. Sure he was targeted and made an example off.

I have been hit with a baseball bat three times and know I was lucky as I took the hits to the limbs and my MA training kicked in. Still got bruised and sore for days.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Obviously, the victims owed a lot of cash or ripped off a lot of cash from the wrong crowd. Sad, but no doubt he deserved it or earned it.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Yes Roppongi is a crap hole of Tokyo, here we have some nice native Japanese dishing out some justice yakuza style??

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

one would think that police should have been notified in time to apprehend the perpetrators before they could flee the area.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

No need for guns to stop these thugs. Break a beer bottle (properly or you'll just hand a handful of broken glass). Step up behind one of the thugs on the fringe, one quick stab to the kidneys (left or right, you choose!). Step back into the crowd, repeat two or three times. Now they've got 3 or 4 thugs down and hopefully the crowd gets the idea. Even they don't then the thugs will probably be so stunned that someone stood up to them that they'll be in shock.

Of course you'd probably be arrested instead of the thugs.

The real problem here is that the cops are on the y's side. I've heard several stories of the cops siding with the Y or just ignoring these attacks. They only arrive AFTER the incident.

-9 ( +4 / -12 )

JT, care to share the name of the club, so I don't ever go there?

-13 ( +1 / -13 )

This is what happens when citizens are disarmed. Even one legally-armed civilian with a pistol could have put a swift end to this murderous rampage.

-35 ( +5 / -39 )

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