A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of damaging property after a number of people were spattered with what appeared to be ink on their kimonos as they attended a celebratory event for 20-year-olds earlier this month in southwestern Japan, according to police.
Yoshinori Hirai was arrested Tuesday for allegedly throwing liquid at a formal furisode kimono worn by a 20-year-old woman on Jan 8 at around 11:15 a.m. at a convenience store in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. Hirai, a local resident, has denied the allegation, the police said.
As the police have received some 10 other complaints regarding liquid being thrown at furisode kimonos, they are investigating whether the same person was responsible.
The event was held at the Kitakyushu Media Dome for 20-year-olds ahead of Japan's Coming-of-Age Day, a national holiday on the second Monday of January, which fell on Jan 9 this year.
The age of adulthood in the country has been lowered to 18 from 20, but the traditional celebration was retained for 20-year-olds in the city.
It is not unusual for attendees of the events to prepare furisode kimono, often costing several hundred thousand yen if purchased, more than a year ahead of the celebration.
© KYODO
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Michael Machida
Yoshinori Hirai san may need to check himself into a mental institution. Sick.
Hercolobus
Sacrilege
Fighto!
Another head case who needs to be locked away from normal people. Having ruined countless young women's special days, he should be forced to compensate them massively. But chances are slim that this total loser has more than 2 coins to rub together.
sir_bentley28
He's just jealous that he didn't get to wear one!
garypen
Incel acting out.
shogun36
why?
wallace
Last April the age was lowered to 18 but there are people still 19-20 so this year they were also included. In the future, the age will be 18.
Mr Kipling
Am I the only one after reading the headline thinking the "liquid" was something other than ink?
Disillusioned
A creep off his leash. Those kimonos are ridiculously expensive. Hopefully, they can pin him for the other attacks too and make hime pay for the lot.
The age of adulthood in the country has been lowered to 18 from 20
No the age of adulthood was not lowered. The age of voting was lowered to 18 in an attempt by the LDP to get more votes believing that the youth will vote the same as their brainwashed parents.. They are not adults until they can be tried in an adult court and sent to an adult jail.
garypen
It usually is in these liquid-spattering-on-young-women-and-girls events in Japan. But, in this case it appears to be more out of malice than sexual perversion. The latter, as gross as it is, may actually have been preferred, as ink will ruin those very expensive kimono.
garypen
Au contraire. It most certainly was in April of last year. 18-year-olds can now enter into contracts, apply for credit cards and loans, lease an apartment, obtain a 10yr passport, marry, legally reassign gender, and so on, all without parental consent, which previously was not allowed until 20yo.
As for criminal prosecution, 18 and 19yo can now be tried as adults for robbery, rape, arson and other offenses punishable by imprisonment of at least one year, with the possibility of facing the death penalty for serious crimes. (It was previously only possible for murder.)
Smoking, drinking, and gambling is still restricted to 20yo and over.
FYI - The legal voting age was lowered to 18 back in 2016. Perhaps that is what you are confusing it with.
wallace
Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 on April 1 by revising the Civil Code and changing the legal definition of an adult for the first time in over 140 years.
Mark
What a dark and depressing animal if found guilty!!
Three goals
Probably has little money to his name, a loser in life. If found guilty should pay all the expenses for the damage he did to those expensive kimonos but probably couldn't afford to.