Man drives car loaded with gas, kerosene into city hall in western Japan

With the attitude that the retirement and healthcare departments are taking with their loss of public information, I am surprised someone hasn't done this earlier. A recent news conference the responses from the retirement representatives was essentially "We'll get to you when we decide to. Until then deal with it." Not a response that people worried about all the money they have put into the system and may never see again want to hear.

The government needs to come up with a rational solution and a very strong apology of I expect that news like this will become common place around the country. Let's hope cooler heads and smarter solutions prevail.

The last time someone covered in gas was taken in, didn't the cops offer a light?

tkoind2: I agree that the government needs to come up with a 'rational' solution. But given the government is broke, it's a safe bet the only 'solution' will be everyone including you and me takes a cut to make up the differences. The price one pays for incompetence, drones in city offices and part-time staff who have no interest in records or anything else save the clock on the wall.

I would be willing to shed some light on this situation but am unable to citing protocol.

Name withheld citing personal policy

Hmmm. Sounds like a bit of homegrown terrorism. Do they have his fingerprints on file?

Probably this is the hallmark of Al Qaeda of Japan. Who else would be so bold to do such a terrible act? All the earmarks of terrorism.

So he has still money for a car, for gasoline and fuel. He did not spend wisely.

With the disastrous condition of the welfare and pension system this comes as no surprise. It's becoming more and more evident that the senior citizens of Japan are loopy! There seems to be a lot of crime coming from the senior citizens and most are just unbelievably stupid. The fish shop lady is another example. BUT, I shouldn't single out the oldies. It's pretty much across the board loopiness.

Agreed and I think it is similar stuff that can be expected in other developed countries soon.

UK is close to it already, USA will take a bit more.

<strong>Moderator: Stay on topic please.</strong>

and now they announces an increase in bonuses for government workers. of course, from our taxes. prepare that kerosene!

Good one Oki!

TERRORIST!! TERRORIST!! TERRORIST!! guess we won't be hearing that from the government, cause japanese are never TERRORISTS!! TERRORISTS!! TERRORISTS!!

buggerlugs, sad but true

tkoind2

At 61 I think this guy isn't old enough to have any issues with the government regarding the recent retirees' insurance fiasco. The people that are protesting are much older I think. Besides, this guy had previosuly/recently been arrested for assaulting staff at this city hall so he was evidently a certifiable nutjub prior to this incident.

The oldies are just committing crimes to get attention.

Tondabayashi is about 400 kilometers west of Tokyo.

In other words, "in Osaka".

this is much better...target politicians, who are the cause of most unpleasantness, rather than stabbing random people on the street

rather than stabbing random people on the street

I'd say the random mass murder of a number of innocent clerical workers on the first floor of a government building would be just as bad as a random stabbing.

I know what this guy did was not right....but reading between the lines, there is a deeper side to this saga. He said he had contacted the "elderly care and human rights departments (sic)" but they ignored him. Then the people in those departments denied knowledge of him. Could it be that this guy was treated like many who go to these charade "departments?" That is, ignored? If so, the guy was probably acting out of deep rooted frustration- and that seems to be the main cause of lots of crimes in Beautiful Japan.

Actions will always be better than anonymous self-righteous comments posted in forums. I agree with the clerical workers bit. They "work" 18hours/day for dirt pay and then this?

Here is a Bill Hick quote: "If you`re gonna kill somebody have some f...ing taste..."

He cant be a terrorist, he's Japanese. Keep on harassing gaijin for ID, while these clowns drive into crowds and get out thrashing blades, or drive flammable laden vehicles into public buildings. Wheres the priorities? Wake up dumb J cops.

Most people that complain about "ederly care" (or its absence) are in their 60's. They have parents in their 80's, 90's, 100's. Their old folks need care and can't stay on their own, while themselves are supposed to keep working. In Osaka, the city hall tells them "day care center" for ederly is available half a day per week, please take a ticket, we'll call your number.

I am sure that hundreds of people have thought "well done !" when they read this article. BTW, he hasn't killed anybody, and nothing says he wanted to do more than break windows.

and nothing says he wanted to do more than break windows.

nothing except the "three gas canisters and containers of a liquid that smelled like kerosene in his car", which could have been part of a feeble attempt at a suicide bombing.

We all know the pension system is seriously messed up. We all know the government is incompetent and corrupt. We all know they aren't going to listen to the complaints you make to some poor contract worker hired to do menial tasks in government buildings. It is true that only action will bring about change. But violent action is unacceptable, especially when the victims probably have absolutely nothing to do with this man, nor the authority to help him. If it was your son/daughter/husband/wife that was cut by the glass, or if luck was not on their side, and someone was hit by the car or blown up by the flammable liquids deliberately put in the car for presumably such a purpose, would you still say "good job"?

Perhaps I sound like a self-righteous bastard, which I admit, I can be. But this is not one of my self-righteous rants. This is about respecting the lives and well-being of innocent people who do not deserve to be injured or killed by an old man with a grudge against the government.

I'd say the random mass murder of a number of innocent clerical workers on the first floor of a government building would be just as bad as a random stabbing.

While I'm not for murder, government workers these days pretty goddamn stupid. I'd hardly call them "innocent".

it was not clear what the man planned to do with the canisters.

Really?!

JT - if Tondabayashi is in 'Western Japan' then where does that place Yamaguchi, Hiroshima and Kyushu? China? I think it would be more appropriate to name it as 'Central' Japan.

If they'd just taken the drivers license away from all those over 60, like I told them to, then none of this would have happened.

Better start finger-printing the Japanese... seems like yet ANOTHER terrorist act committed by ANOTHER Japanese.