Two boys arrested for shooting fireworks at homeless man

whereismayhem "What for? What did WE do to this guy? Most homeless in Japan are "professional" homeless, as hundreds of my Japanese students have told me. They like the stress free life and wouldn't work even if they could."

Sorry, but your students are idiots. Most of the homeless in Japan are elderly or mentally ill, like in most countries, and as such are not able to find work, or not capable of working. Who is going to give an 83 year old homeless man a job? I assure you, living on the streets in your 80's is extremely stressful, and I'm sure the guy would be more than happy to trade it in for a more comfortable existance if he could. But that's not an option for someone of his age. It is something that all of us as members of society should feel responsible for, since we cast people out on their behind as soon as they get too old to work, regardless of what they may have contributed up to that point.

I don't see where it says the old guy without a home was drunk.

16 years old and out at 4am? Obviously they don`t come from particularly caring stable homes in the first place. No excuse - but I blame the parents for kids bad behaviour.

"Strap some fireworks to their balls."

It has been done. No shock value there.

"I demand the following punishment for these youths: Fireworks shot at them as a group of homeless jeer them."

This is better, but trying to bring this scene together would be like herding cats.

I think that finding jobs for everyone involved would be the best...er... punishment. If the 16 year olds have too much free time, then they should be working two jobs.

Disgrace shamefull they parents should be responsible for the crime , Appologies in public.... socially sack them.

Looks like they weren't punished enough the first time around. Strap some fireworks to their balls.

In any case, these kids will probably not graduate anyways nor ever find a real job besides construction. After which they'll wear out and be homeless on the streets, where they can be viciously assaulted by the new generation of teens. Very poetic.

You are right about age wolfbiscuits, & to think that this old man sleeping on the bit of protection for the night, could be the results of several children in his family life.

Unfortunately being old & drunk is not like a top rate athlete or other young sport star.

Also when old you are not as nible as when in 20s to 50s I can assure you.

It is a pity those teeners indangered that elderly drunk person.

ReformedBasher: "This is not at all like the incident where some "grown up" foreigners were harrassing some homeless guy in a park (in Osaka)."

Should I even be addressing trolls like yourself on this? Do explain how it's bad to punish these kids because some event none of us have heard about (give links, please) was so important you had to bring it up.

Anyway, the only reason these kids are being charged is because someone got hurt, and since he was homeless and the kids 'under age' there will be nothing done about it save perhaps for a free beef-bowl at Yoshinoya for the homeless guy, with the weasel-like kids 'promising' they will never do it again. Seriously, there are kids in the park near where I work who shoot of bottle rockets at people all the time, and despite the sign that says, "No fires, fireworks, baseball (or games with balls)," etc., the NEVER do a thing about it. It's amazing who and how much fireworks you can buy at a convenience store here. I remember once I bought a MASSIVE pack of fireworks for more than 10,000 yen and then waited and fired them off in winter. The police came and gave me crap (not much, but a bit), and the reason was because it was winter, they said.

I demand the following punishment for these youths:

Fireworks shot at them as a group of homeless jeer them.

As a Japanese Disillusioned hit all marks in the center. Our society is falling apart and we have our heads up our collective a$$es.

That is why there stories like this and mothers killing their children, locking children in cars to bake alive as they play pachinko, kids stabbing their families to death, and children keeping dead parents in their homes to collect their pensions.

Yet, we Japanese never demand change.

So I guess they didn't learn their lesson the first time they were caught. Oh wait, yes they did. They learned they could do it, get caught and have nothing happen to them. They need to lower the age here so that these "kids" can be charged as adults, be named and be shamed and punished.

stupid boys !!!!!

I hope the poor old man is OK. I honestly hope these violent jerks all end up in an adult prison in the near future, then the little weeds can find out how tough they are. No future, losers.

SuziB - This kind of ignorance is saddening.

Saddening, but true. If the J-Gov and 'most' Japanese citizens don't give two hoots about the homeless why should I? Have you been to Funabashi recently to see the little community of a dozen or so homeless men that have set up camp at and in the station? They stink, they litter, they sleep in the entrances. They are disgusting! But! I don't blame them. I blame the society that ignores them.

The plight of homeless people in Japan is totally irrelevant to me (and to most Japanese)

This kind of ignorance is saddening.

The picture is clear here, these teens stopped studying and roaming at midnight aimlessly. So with no career, after they reach his age they will become the same hopeless and homeless and some fricky guys would be shooting their a@@.

Oh, it's no world for an old man any longer. What sort of a world is it at all? Men on the moon, and men spinning around the earth, and there's not no attention paid to earthly law and order no more.

Treating them like they are nine years old is not the way to go.

It seems about right for every 16y/o Japanese 'boy' I have met.

Its a wonder how the colloquial use of "boy" has become good enough for newspaper articles. These are young men, and they should be treated as such, and my impression is somewhere between a real boy and a grown man. Treating them like they are nine years old is not the way to go.

Please don't blame those two boys. This old homeless is disgusting and disturbed them, that's why they shooted fireworks at this homeless man.

usually homeless body are drunk and very brave and aggressive, when see foreigners. this is big mistake any drunk people. if somebody abuse me or my family, I just kick his @ss. it's advisable and preventively.

if they are 16 they are minors and can not be arrested, they were "held for questioning"

For all intents and purposes they were arrested if they were detained and not free to leave. Not sure how Japanese law views it but in many countries you have been deemed "arrested" if you are held by the cops, against your will, regardless of whether the cops actually verbally said you were under arrest.

They were not arrested, if they are 16 they are minors and can not be arrested, they were "held for questioning" but they can't be arrested.

Ah, the pointy hat did it. To continue:

< :-) Are there homeless in the park near you? I'm always receiving boxes of can juice as a "summer gifts". I chill them carry two at a time usually and hand them out ice cold to the homeless guys I see. Sometimes thirty-four degrees, in the sun, just having something cold in your hand is a good feeling. I hope this guy is doing okay.

Does Kobe allow fireworks to be set off? A bylaw in my city forbids it but that doesn't stop convenience stores from selling them to almost anyone at almost any hour. In my neighbourhood at least as of last year I got that stopped <:-) Are there homeless in the park near you? I'm always receiving boxes of can juice as a "summer gifts". I chill them carry two at a time usually and hand them out ice cold to the homeless guys I see. Sometimes thirty-four degrees, in the sun, just having something cold in your hand is a good feeling. I hope this guy is doing okay.

What happens to the homeless and who pays for his health care..? Will those young boys really get punished to the extent that they should... After all the homeless aren't even counted for on the unemployed percentage....

sounds like fun if you are 16 and bored.

"Homeless 83 year old,great society we live in,makes you think. Really we should all feel a little guilty"

I am pretty sure I will be an 83 year old homeless guy someday. Makes me think this old guy should have a little surprise knife stashed away because, remember, if he stabs one of the boys, he gets three meals and a warm safe place to sleep for a long long time. He does society a favor too, by educating the feral youth.

minello7 - that just about sums up todays society.

Take your soapbox out and blurt your sentiments to the 130 million Japanese. It's not my society either. I am just a foreigner visiting this wonderfully amusing society.

minello17 ". Really we should all feel a little guilty" What for? What did WE do to this guy? Most homeless in Japan are "professional" homeless, as hundreds of my Japanese students have told me. They like the stress free life and wouldn't work even if they could.

How sad it must be to be homeless at 83 and having had fireworks shot at you. I hope those boys will get adequate punishment for this. Society is also to blame for letting an 83 year old man be homeless in the first place.

Dissilusioned-"We??? I feel no guilt for something that has nothing to do me"and that just about sums up todays society.

Really we should all feel a little guilty.

We??? I feel no guilt for something that has nothing to do me. The plight of homeless people in Japan is totally irrelevant to me (and to most Japanese). Did you know they are not even counted as unemployed because they have no fixed address? The guilt and shame lies solely on the Japanese welfare system (or lack one). Hope the old digger is OK and these two thugs get the flogging they deserve.

Homeless 83 year old,great society we live in,makes you think. Really we should all feel a little guilty.

this is front page news?

This is not at all like the incident where some "grown up" foreigners were harrassing some homeless guy in a park (in Osaka). The one who pipes up "Do it for Australia!" really does his country proud and we can be sure ties between the 2 countries prospered thereafter.

They then go onto to throwing a bicycle up on a garbage truck. Unfortunately the driver did not fully understand the cultural exchange and proceeded to grab the guy tho trew the bike by the scruff of the neck. The police get called, I hope those guys got deported.

Seriously though, I threw eggs at cars when I went to high school, amongst other pranks. (Neighborhood kids do it today too) These kids need a good swift kick, but then again, so did I.

Hope the homeless guy is okay, he does not deserve this.

This is very sad.... what is happening to the youths. Does anyone know who pays for the hospital charges for the homeless guy?? In this case would the boys (and their parents) be liable or does the government look after the homeless in this case. I can't imagine the homeless guy having insurance....

Did they wear derbies and play Beethoven's 10th? With firecrackers, I am guessing that Tschaikovsky's 1812 overture would have worked better.

The actual charge is not named, but they mention the charges, and that others had been arrested on the same charges. Seems as though it could be anything... but actually calling it felony assault would give more punch to the story.

Whats wrong wiht not being "smart". not everyone has the same skills. He could also have learning disabilities or such. Plus we need people to do the construction work, garbage picks ups etc. And they make good money, probably more than most.

Moderator: Back on topic please.

Hang on I'm just closing my eyes....yes yes i can picture this 16 year old dweeb. And i can kinda guess that his hobby is ripping around late at night on really loud annoying motorbikes. Because you dropkicks are underage and will just be given the really sisy slap on the wrist as punishment by the courts how about we just line up you two fellas up out the back of the police station and you clowns can watch as we let rip with some reall kick ar$e firecrackers of our own for punishment....no no don't close your eyes fellas. Keep them open because thats where we are aiming.

Yeah 16 yr old construction worker, not "smart" enough to pass the HS entrance exam.

16 year old construction worker??? Wow.