crime

Man slashed with knife after confronting thief at Tokyo Station

27 Comments

Police said Tuesday they are looking for a man who slashed another man on the platform at Tokyo Station on Monday.

According to TV Asahi, the victim, 50, told police that he witnessed an older man stealing a can of beer from a station kiosk on the platform between the Keihin Tohoku and Yamanote lines at about 9:20 a.m.

When the man with the beer attempted to leave the scene, the victim approached him to reprimand him, at which point he was slashed on his left hand by a bladed weapon. Police say his injury is not serious, TV Asahi reported.

According to police, the attacker was roughly 160 cm tall, wearing a jersey under a deep blue colored coat, and black pants.

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27 Comments
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dang just one beer huh? id at least take a 6 pack or something i mean oh wait nooo bad bad man

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Then again, the good Samaritan should have simply paid the beer at the Kiosk and have the clerk come to agreement of the action meaning the clerk calls the cops; then walk up near the guy enjoying the beer- take a snap shot of him and hand it over to the police as evidence. Likely the bad guy gets summons, the good guy gets rewarded and end of story!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Whiskysour, some of them are just drunks, but some of them are just getting off work. Many of the folks--particularly middle-aged and above, and particularly those roughly dressed--have been working night/graveyard shifts as laborers at construction sites, as guards, and the like. Early morning is their equivalent of the day workers' early evening.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've seen alot of old people drink beer or cheao clear alchol 6am - 10am when I'm going to work. Why why why why people need to drink that early is beyond me.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Should have used the blood choke.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow. Stealing beer? A little desperate, are we?

Exactly.

Dudley Do-right, in his mad attempt to adjust this man's "wa", should've just minded his own P's and Q's.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Sorry, but as there are loony bins are walking everywhere, I just keep to myself. I hate it when someone smokes near me on the train platform - I'd like to through water in their faces - but I just walk away. I've also heard crazy stories of foreigners getting into trouble (even with the police) just for being the good samaritan.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Sounds like this guy always wanted to be a cop - and this was his big chance to catch a "baddie". Just didn't work out as planned. Hope he gets better soon.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Sorry, that should read, "...you need to think twice before you CONFRONT someone and be careful when and after you do it".

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Just like I said yesterday -- be it over noise, a loud dog, a habit you don't like, smoking in a no-smoking area, it doesn't matter; you need to think twice before you do it and be careful when and after you do. I am happy there's a good Samaritan out there, and wish there were more people like him, but you literally take your life in your hands when you confront someone over something. And in this case over a can of beer??

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I love a good Samaritan. Everybody does. Then again, it's a tough decision whether or not you do something about it when you see something like this. You have to weigh things out pretty quickly. Your life is on the line. It's a train platform and furthermore it was one can of beer.

Society doesn't always reward good Samaritans. There's a chance you might get locked up with the guy.

Knife or no knife, you're on a platform. That's a game of death. If you lose, you might end up on the tracks. For what? Over a can of beer. If the guy was willing to steal a can of beer, he was pretty P.Off to begin with.

Collateral damage: What if during a scuffle someone gets bumped onto the tracks. Good Samaritan or not you're going to jail.

As much as I admire the guy for trying to the right thing. This was a pretty stupid dangerous move. I need people like that to stay alive and do positive things with this society.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Isn't vendored beer really, really cheap in Japan? Why would he still that?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Good idea but foolish, never get into a fight that you aren't sure that you can win.

Spiderco knifes(example) are small(Blades less than 6cm) and easily concealed and that is the major problem with fighting someone usually the 1st time you know he is armed is when the knife, etc has been used on you.

In short "Billy don't be a hero" unless you are trained and know what you are doing and willing to face the worst outcome too.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It must be cultural?

Cross cultural is more like it because "doing nothing" is something you see across the globe, from China to the United States. Heck just look at the news recently in China about that little girl that got hit by two cars, you hear news about people doing nothing from time to time from all parts of the globe.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Hmmm....the beer cost what? 200 to 300 yen - as to the shank cost what? 3,000 to 5,000 yen...give and take a little! Today, you don't know where trouble leaps out!! Best to mind your own business until trouble walks your way!! Granted, the old man tried to do the right thing, but look how he ended! And now the offender is out there, being pissed off at the world all because over a beer....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

TwT there's so much stress in japan right now, there's so many stabbings here and there, hang in there japan!!!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I hate watching people commit crimes and often will speak up to try to stop them. I have even called the police of a DV incident involving my neighbours in hopes that it wouldn't escale and their poor little girl would be safe. However, a man stealing a can of beer at 9:20 AM would set off warning bells to me that he might not be so stable and it would be better to ask someone with authority to approach him.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Thou shall not shoplift. Did he get the beer by the way?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Attacking someone with a knife over a beer ? Hope they will catch the guy

willing to knife somebody over a crappy beer

I think what was stolen is irrelevant in this case. The assailant may have been on the run, a multiple offender or simply wanted to avoid arrest for theft.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

not a big cut and it doesnt say it was a knife, but a sharp object, could aswell be a key. But then again, why so many people carrying knifes or sharp objects around. scary development tbh

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Is it stabbing season in Japan right now or is there something in the water?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Wow. Stealing beer? A little desperate, are we?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If it was someones handbag, perhaps it would be an incentive to intervene but I doubt I would get involved over a can of beer, however I suppose the last thing the 50 year old guy expected was to be attacked with a blade. I hope that they catch his assailant ASAP

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It must be cultural?

It's just the big city, same as big cities worldwide.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Someone falls nobody helps. Someone gropes, everyone just watches. Someone steals everyone is a hero. Ive seen this so many times. Everyone is a hero only when it comes to stealing in japan (at least from my experiences). It must be cultural?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Tokyo station is way too big and you have people from all over Japan walking around there, lost, and then you have nut cases like this guy, willing to knife somebody over a crappy beer, so better to be careful there and if you do see a crime, let the police handle it, not worth getting slashed or killed over a stupid beer, onigiri etc...right??

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Attacking someone with a knife over a beer ? Hope they will catch the guy

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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