Japan Today
crime

Man on train arrested for telling other passengers he has COVID

30 Comments

Police in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, have arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business after he boarded a train and said in a loud voice that he had the coronavirus.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 10 a.m. on Saturday on the JR Tokaido Line as the train was between Toyohashi and Okazaki stations, Fuji TV reported. Passengers complained to station staff at Okazaki Station where the man was detained until police arrived.

Police arrested Haruki Kitajima, a part-time worker, and quoted him as saying he told other passengers he had the coronavirus because he didn’t want anyone to sit near him. The train was stopped at Okazaki Station for about 10 minutes. Kitajima denied that he had forcibly obstructed business.

Kitajima was given a PCR test and tested positive for the virus, police said, though he told police he did not know for sure that he had contracted the virus before he boarded the train as he had shown no symptoms.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

30 Comments
Login to comment

Oh, the irony..

5 ( +11 / -6 )

In Japan, it is against the law to say you have covid.

That's messed up.

-14 ( +11 / -25 )

It's funny as through his selfish actions, he actually protected others.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

Police in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, have arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business after he boarded a train and said in a loud voice that he had the coronavirus.

It seems he was obstructing a business endangering the public during the pandemic. Which is one of the core protocols of the pandemic response. So the charge seems odd however odd he was behaving.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Wait a minute. He told people he had corona virus and actually did have the virus? So wasn't he was telling the truth and doing everyone a favor by warning them?

15 ( +21 / -6 )

It seems he was obstructing a business endangering the public during the pandemic. Which is one of the core protocols of the pandemic response. So the charge seems odd however odd he was behaving.

As he didn’t know for sure that he had COVID, it would be harder to make a charge of endangering others stick. But he definitely was obstructing a business.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

So he said he has Covid and he actually does have Covid. How is that grounds for any arrest or charges?

4 ( +12 / -8 )

Just not advisable. (Don’t try this at home, Kids!)

1 ( +9 / -8 )

Police quoted him as saying he told other passengers he had the coronavirus because he didn’t want anyone to sit near him. He was given a PCR test and tested positive for the virus.

If he had quietly infected the other passengers, he’d be a free man today.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Kaerimashita 05:40 pm JST

So he said he has Covid and he actually does have Covid. How is that grounds for any arrest or charges?

It apparently wasn’t. So the authorities pulled something else out of their hat (forcible obstruction of business).

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

More proof that the infection numbers is Japan are greatly understated. The J-Cops randomly tested someone, and they tested positive. Mic Drop!

If he had quietly infected the other passengers, he’d be a free man today.

Yep! This story is filled with so much irony!

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Sounds like he was aware he was symptomatic and trying to protect others.

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

I've felt like saying it when someone sitting near or opposite me on the train isn't wearing a mask.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Just goes to show, almost ANYBODY in this countrycould have the virus. They just don't get tested. This nutcase proves that it's EVERYWHERE. So much for 800 odd cases in Tokyo today. LOL

4 ( +9 / -5 )

He wasn't protecting the other passengers. If he knew he has Covid, he shouldn't be Out in the first place. He should be isolated in his room for few days which then makes sense protecting the people.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Sounds like he was aware he was symptomatic and trying to protect others.

That could have been done by not getting on the train in the first place.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

he told other passengers he had the coronavirus because he didn’t want anyone to sit near him

People are so ridiculously fearful you could probably achieve the same result by simply not wearing a mask!

I've lost track of what the law is currently in Japan - if you have covid, are you permitted to leave the house? If not, then this would be the correct charge to bring against him, but if you are allowed to go out then he was simply performing a public service by warning others of his condition!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Sounds like he got a free test out of it

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Arrested for being honest. Weird.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

I guess the man got penalized for telling the truth is that a bad thing?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The Covid Protocol of the Japanese elders, has been lying about Covid testing, blaming foreigners for rise in cases in Tokyo, I guess now, Japan has not been doing adequate testing,this why Covid cases were so low, now they are reaping what they sowed, by not being truthful with cases of Covid

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Wow!

He had Covid and was asymptomatic.

How many on the train were the same?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

He may have been arrested as he was causing a disturbance, and making threatening behaviours on the Train, which is a criminal offence, and because he said he had covid19, made the headline more Appealing for the public, so you have to look in to more detail in the Police Report.

Be safe and healthy people.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I wonder if this has anything to do with the "accident" preventing me from going to Toyohashi yesterday.. It would make sense ! The fact that he actually tested positive for the virus is ironic..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Very strange case in a strange world. Now already arrests for telling the truth? If he hadn’t said anything another person might have sit aside him and even more corona clusters or further spreading would have occurred. And now what is gained? Even infecting the whole train and police servicemen, train stations and other places additionally to his original planned schedule.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nin JahJan. 11  07:59 am JST

He may have been arrested as he was causing a disturbance, and making threatening behaviours on the Train, which is a criminal offence, and because he said he had covid19, made the headline more 

Inducing panic is supposed to be a crime. Then again, if that were enforced in America many people would be in jail!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites