Two women in their 20s were assaulted by a man wielding an umbrella on Monday in Shinjuku, and police believe the attacks were committed by the same man, who remains at large.
The first woman was in a FamilyMart convenience store at around 11 a.m. when she noticed some water dripping on her from behind. When she turned around in surprise, a man holding an umbrella shrieked in a loud voice and hit her on her shoulder with the umbrella before running off, police said.
A few minutes later at a pedestrian crossing about 300 meters from the convenience store, another woman crossing the street was suddenly called out to by a man passing her, and when she turned around, she was hit on the nose by an umbrella. She dropped to the ground and the man ran off in the direction from which he came.
The man has been described as being about 170 centimeters tall, of medium build and in his 20s or 30s. He was wearing a white or light-green shirt and blue jeans, and his hair was messy.
© News reports
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neverknow2
What color was his hair?
nisegaijin
What a nut job. Hope the girls are ok.
Altria
What colour was the umbrella?
Sarge
At least he didn't poke out their eyes like some guy did to someone some years ago in Shibuya, I believe it was.
Samuraiiki
This country is becoming "Mecha Mecha"
VOR
thats it. another senseless attack. ban all umbrella.
Betting
Probably another jackass venting his frustrations on the world. No excuse, but at least he didn't use a knife.
SebastianFlyte
He ought to be locked up!
griff
what a freakshow. i hate to say it, but this is probably another example of the failings of japanese mental health provisions. he is probably the sort of guy in need of some specialist attention but not being provided it so as not to "stick out"
also reminds me of a time many years ago when i was sitting on a seibu-ikebukuro line train, waiting for it to depart when i heard a loud shrieking sound in the distance, getting closer. a few seconds later i saw a fully grown man, leap-frogging down the platform, shrieking at the top of his voice. was the most bizarre sight i'd ever seen in my life. this city is packed full of screw-ups
ultradodgy
ella, ella
bamboohat
Well, glad the cops are on top of things. A crazed umbrella-man on the loose is the last thing this country needs.
Probably be an open and shut case.
Harry_Gatto
So, from seeing a crazy guy "many years ago" you deduce the city is "packed full of screw-ups"? Strange logic indeed even given the case described in this report.
Richard_III
These nut jobs are everywhere in Tokyo nowadays.
WhiteHawk
When umbrellas are outlawed, only outlaws will have umbrellas.
gogogo
It's the brella bandit!
noborito
Wonder what they did to piss the attacker off?
typeking
****He was on drugs. Not common in Japan. Specially Tokyo.
Triumvere
Frrrrrrreak.
titian
I thought only KGB is using an umbrella as a weapon! Agree, the size and color of umbrella should be carefully investigated, and those kind of umbrellas should be banned. Ever better if everyone having even a legal umbrella is fingerprinted.
SpanishEyez37
His hair was messy,so he was already having a bad hair days,so he just snapped.
Tahoochi
Altria:
It was probably clear vinyl or navy blue.
Is it me, or is the greater Tokyo area full of crazies? No offense to those who live there, but I'm glad I don't.
stratu23
Well personally, I'd rather be hit with an umbrella than with a samurai sword.
yokomoc
Apparently this guy had some issues with women. He was told to be more of a casanova but misheard it as "Kasa-noser". Easy mistake to make. Still though, two in one day. It never rains, it pours...
Samuraiiki
Too much into the Umbrella song.
laconic
yokomoc
ha ha ha ha ha
himasan
Now we`ll have to show ID whenever we want to buy an unbrella
sf2k
the umbrella registration office will hear about this
Elbuda Mexicano
Tokyo, like any other big city in the world has it's fair share of loonies, and sadly enough, SHINJUKU has to be where most of these idiots gravitate to. I live here in Tokyo, but I do hate Shinjuku, it is just full of wierd, strange, and yes, very unbalanced people who are just ticking time bombs like this idiot with the umbrella, thank god he did not have a knife!
Midnightpromise
Surprise, surprise, only one comment or so that the victims asked for it. I guess that line of reasoning is only brought forth for sex crimes and murder cases.
Nessie
Not "assaulted by man with umbrella in Shinjuku"; should be "assaulted with umbrella by man in Shinjuku."
Alexander Warrick
"The man has been described as being about 170 centimeters tall, of medium build and in his 20s or 30s. He was wearing a white or light-green shirt and blue jeans, and his hair was messy." Wow, that narrows it down fairly well, I predict an arrest any minute.
Richardson
Titian's remark about the KGB probably is prompted by an incorrect memory of the poisoned umbrella used by the Bulgarian secret service to kill a defector in London years ago.
Den Den
Umbellas should be banned. They can easily poke eyes out, and people use them while riding bikes. Raincoats rule.
titian
Richardson:
And your comment is maybe prompted by apparent lack of knowledge about the maker of the umbrella. Wikipedia: "...surreptitious ricin poisoning of the Bulgarian émigré Georgi Markov, shot with an umbrella-gun of KGB design, in 1978".
Moderator: All readers back on topic please.
kirakira25
Tahoochi - no offence taken and you are absolutely right!
It;s the same guy doing all the crime in Tokyo!!!! Find this man!!! All crime will then stop!
Bento
yes sir
bobbafett
why did she do a hedgehog? that will get you killed as a human. groin, kick, run. that's all she needs to do.
Tiresias
A slow news day in Shinjuku, evidently.
sydenham
Nessie, you beat me to it.
onewrldoneppl
if he doesn't turn himself, this guy will get away scott free. had he been a foreigner, 3-4 'would-be' j-heroes would've at least said "OI!". instead, they stood idlely by whisperin'quitely to themselves ... "suge na ...". ha ha ha ... j-cowardice zero. umbrella-wielding, misogynist j-coward two!
ca1ic0cat
Isn't every day in Shinjuku a slow news day? Hopefully this nut job will move to Shibuya. The good news is that an edged weapon wasn't involved. At least their hair wasn't cut off or something. As far as the one woman "doing a hedgehog" most people aren't trained to cope with the surprise and pain of a blow to the nose let alone how to react forcefully. A pity, that.
Fadamor
Bah! Newspaper titles always play it loose with grammar rules. Jay Leno used to compile comedy books of actual headlines that were atrocious.
My preferred headline: "Two women attacked by umbrella-wielding man in Shinjuku".
Hoolie
Denden - I agree- raincoats and hats are more effective anyhow. You'll be happy to know that as of last June carrying an umbrella while riding a bicycle is a traffic offense that carries a fine of up to 50,000 yen. People are slowly getting the message, too.
http://www.police.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/050/71saisokukaisei.html
griff
would you like to me list every single screwjob i've seen wandering around this town? i don't think either of us have the time for that. trust me there have been a sack load. the example i quoted is merely the most amazing example in a list with many more
rogerbentham
that's why mace is important.
rogerbentham
or kick him in the balls, like real hard. it's called a boner.
dracpoo2
He has misplaced his marbles. Almost all of them.