A man was arrested in Higashiyamacho, Saitama Prefecture, on Sunday for cutting a woman's pants while she slept on a train. Police identified the suspect as Koji Takahashi, 57, who claims to be a construction worker of no fixed abode.
According to police, Takahashi made three incisions, each around 10 centimeters in length, while the 20-year-old woman was sleeping at 6:40 a.m. on a train between Kitasakado and Takamatsu on the Tobu Tojo line.
When the victim realized her pants had been cut, she followed Takahashi as he got off the train at Takasaka. The woman then reported the situation to station staff who detained Takahashi until police arrived.
According to police, Takahashi told station staff, "She was stretched out on the priority seat taking up all the space, so I got mad at her."
© News reports
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smithinjapan
'Of no fixed abode'? Who's writing these things?
Anyway, understandable that he got miffed that some young woman, probably passed out and on her way home, sleeping on the priority seat. But still... you wake the girl up and give her a verbal how-now, if anything. You don't go cutting someone's pants.
Disillusioned
Oh, yes! Another completely 'normal' reaction by a Japanese loon!
nath
I want more details! How exactly were her pants cut? Little hearts and flowers? Spider webs? Holes taken out in weird places? Slit down the front? The back? This story has the potential for greatness, but alas, it doesn't make the cut...
Roppongi
look at his mentality...another baby-nut going around who cant control his correct behaviors and take correct actions...he needs his azz beat.
Gurukun
I agree with the other posters. How was her pants cut? Did her body get cut too? Regardless, this guy needs some Anger Management Classes.
BurakuminDes
Maybe he was a tailor?
stormqueen
A vigilante who puts the fear of Buddha up rude OL's-weird,but funny..any young adult in green seats should be ordained fair game for 'loons'.Put a poster above the seat 'Loon Vulnerable'.
ebonyninja
Let's see! Was it in response to her taking up additional seats, or was he just a loon taking advantage of the situation, and trying to get a peek at her under garments through the slit he made? Either way, lock him up!!!
MistWizard
At 6:40 am I guarantee there were lots of other places a geezer could sit. I think the priority seat thing is just an excuse.
whiskeysour
bad man
Smythe
I was amazed that a man, of any age, would be carry scissors. I know here in North America a man might be carrying a knife, but not scissors!!!!
Alphaape
Well, if he cut them in the right places, they may be fashionable. I have seen too many women wearing the "ripped jeans" fashion trend. But no matter, this guy is a loon.
Sarge
Hey, the guy probably just lost his job and/or his wife, give him a break, lol. And sentence the guy to doing all this woman's mending and laundry... no wait, strike the laundry, just the mending after everything's been laundered, lol.
thepro
lol, sounds like a nutty homeless bum
bass4funk
Details seem a bit vague, but in any case, how is it that douchebags like this guy always make these kind of outlandish mistakes, "She was stretched out, so I got mad" Well, that sure proves justification to cut someone's pants, right? Or how about fondling them, perfectly understandable or I had to kiss her, because she made me angry? Excuse after excuse, is anyone buying this, do the police actually believe these guys? This is lunacy at its worst! And what the heck was he packing scissors for anyway?! Honestly, how sick can some of these guys be?
Realistic
scissors! Is it legal here to carry them with you?
isthistheend
"Hey, the guy probably just lost his job and/or his wife, give him a break, lol." Sarge you say the EXACT SAME THING about the teenager stabbed as this one. Are you for real?
bicultural
Absolutely hilarious story. She should have paid him for making her outfit sexier.
Sarge
isthistheend - Absolutely!
ebonyninja
Maybe you are correct! The old guy was an artist! An up and coming fashion designer and he took the open opportunity to create a new style of jeans on the unsuspecting subject (smile)....just kidding...he was crazy!!
isthistheend
Concerning high school stabbing Sarge writes at 11:06 AM JST - 20th September Hey, the guy was probably just lost his job or his wife or both, give him a break, lol. I hope the cops catch this guy ASAP. REad the above. The exact same sentence. This loon is out of his cotton pickin mind, or he's taking us all for fools! in my opinion. Any comment...besides the loons?
Alphaape
I have seen people sleep on the trains and miracously wake up for their stop. You mean this woman couldn't tell that someone was snipping on her clothes on a public train. She must be a really sound sleeper or had one too many to drink.
YongYang
isthisthened: Sarge is giving you some insight to how some Japanese who commit such acts as this go on to plead 'innocent' by being 'stressed' due to... having just lost their job and/or their wife/husband, SO, Sarge is being sarcastic when he asks us to 'give them a break'.
HermioneGranger
Not that there is ever a valid excuse for snipping someone's pants, but surely there were plenty of other places to sit that early in the morning! Obviously the train wasn't full or someone crammed in next to him would have noticed!
Monkeyz
I wonder what he means by "stretched out." Every day I see guys "stretched out," taking up more than their fair share of room on crowded trains. I see guys "sleeping" with their bag next to them while other people stand. I've seen homeless guys use an entire 7 person bench as their bed. And no one snipped their pants. Ever.
dolphingirl
He should build a house for himself! Sounds like a guy with some kind of mental illness like OCD.
MistWizard
Of course, because of this single incident, all scissors beyond a certain length should be banned immediately. (sigh)
palanteboricua
Don't know much how things work in Saitama, but in Tokyo 6:40 in the morning, people strech out all the time. What's the big deal with this guy? Now, he is famous....
keika1628
Yeah sarge is right he lost his job and his wife gave him the scissors when she kicked him out
shinjukuboy
This is the kind of crime you get when citizens are not allowed to carry handguns so they can shoot and kill each other, a crime worthy of a developed country (read about the US).
IfeelImust
Who carries a pair of scissors around? A serial snipper perhaps!I got mad and snipped her knickers! LOL! News? Don't fall asleep on the train. you just might wake up with a haircut! Question is what hair and where!
Sunjovi
The reason he told is disgusting and unbelieveable.why would someone carry a scissor in train.he is a fetishist with abnormal intention. Its a planned deed.
METinTokyo
Personally, when I get mad, stressed at work, whatever, I follow the sage advice given to me by my grandmother years ago and throw a raw egg at a rotating electric fan in the back yard.
Works for me.
Mikanojo
What a twisted chikan! It seems very strange that a construction worker would be carrying scissors unless maybe he is a construction paper worker? He saw a 20yr old woman sleeping on the train and he took the opportunity to use the scissors to make 3 cuts in her pants.. it does not say the pattern only that 3 cuts were made approximately 10cm each.. i wonder if the 3 cuts were in the shape of |_|.. cutting a flap to play pi-pingutomu?
Sunjovi
Then he would probably finish in prison for attempt murder to obachaan.
CapnSinbad
He was just a bored old unemployed homeless guy riding the rails all day to kill time and got irked some young woman was stealing his seat. He's guilty of being a nuisance at worst. Lock'em up ? Probably be better off than he is now.
maryhinge
A cut above the rest! Were they knickers or trousers?
marcels
Why doesn,t he just buy some from the vending machine, it,s obvious what he was going to do with them, oh let me guess he would use it as a kitchen rag, No he would mail them back, why the hell would you try and cut someone,s pants for??? to get to the ????? of course!!!!!!
Apsara
The Japanese news said her trousers (zubon) were cut, so those of you thinking it's her underpants will need to adjust that mental image. JT is using "pants" with the US meaning here.
marushka
Uhhhh, such a pervert! Were these trousers “ signed” by Gucci?
fondofj
Wasn't there a single other passenger on that compartment while the pervy cutting her pant?
Elbuda Mexicano
bdiego
If taking up a little of his space deserves getting their pants cut up, what should we do to him in return? Answer = Hanging
Nice to take his logic to his final conclusion.
isthistheend
fondofi, of course there were. But haven't you noticed how everything is "none-of-my-business", and "that's you're problem, and you're problem alone" syndrome here? in my opinion.
kirakira25
Given they were 3 cuts at 10cms each I am assuming they were trousers because a) surely, surely someone would wake up if those cuts were being made in their knickers and b) would the knickers even be big enough? Actually, scratch that last bit - I have been shopping in Japanese underwear departments and yes, of course they would be big enough!
Junnama
The only possible place to cut like this would be the bottom of the pant leg. In my twisted little fantasies, it's elsewhere of course....
jtuzr
Gosh, whatever happened to, "Hey, scoot over, please."
goddog
I agree jtuzr....but more like move your butt girly.
n3312
I'm wondering, if she didn't feel that her pants were being cut up while sleeping, how did she come to the conclusion that the guy who got of the train did it? Did he spin the scissors on his finger while getting off?
kokorocloud
Did he spin the scissors on his finger while getting off?
I think I'm tired but this made me laugh so hard. Probably whistled a little tune to himself. Funny mental image.
In all seriousness though, what a childish and ridiculous way to react. I don't understand his motivation.
jtuzr
He should have just sprayed shaving cream in her hand and then tickle her nose while video taping it and then upload it to Youtube. That would go viral.
oberst
he's just a fashionista. Case dismissed, next.............
alargo
Although....You've got to admit that these people who make a habit of sleeping on you can be a little annoying. (Of course, all you guys dreaming of cut panties which are not in the story probably wouldn't mind a 20-year-old woman sleeping on your shoulder)
Youdontknow
Saitama - no surprise there.