Man arrested for pushing woman off station platform in Tokyo

Hurry up and get the gates up.

The man from Osaka Prefecture has admitted to the charge of attempted murder, saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life behind bars, said the police who withheld his name citing a mental disorder.

Diagnosing these disorders earlier could head off some of these "random" incidents.

Hurry up and get the gates up.

I can concur with that. I feel much safer on platforms now I don't have to wonder if one of those behind me or hanging around is a nut with a grudge.

Yup, just like I said the other day, Japan is on the decline. Events like this and what also happened at Akihabara station will only become more common as time goes on.

For all we hear about how much safer and better Japan is than the rest of the world, the sobering reality is that it's just another country.

I instinctively stand at a 45 degree angle to the edge of the platform when waiting for the train. These events do happen from time to time.

I stand sideways on the platform when the train is coming. It's more difficult to be pushed onto the track, that way. It's a habit I began back in NYC in the subway.

JeffLee

I instinctively stand at a 45 degree angle to the edge of the platform when waiting for the train.

Don't you mean 90 degrees or fully perpendicular to the platform edge? 45 might help a little. But, 90 will give you the most stability against being pushed onto the track.

Gary

No, 45 degrees and facing the incoming train. The stance offers me a wider visual view and the ability to use the shoulder facing away from the train to push against any force toward the train.

Watch your back!

Don't you mean 90 degrees or fully perpendicular to the platform edge? 45 might help a little. But, 90 will give you the most stability against being pushed onto the track.

And also, if you are pushed from behind, you'll only move further along the platform. Whereas, at 45 degrees, you'll still move towards the train tracks.

I make sure that I’m never the first in line…

The man can't retire and is fed up with life.

Randomly attack someone and asks for life in prison. Free bed and free food, no going to work, stay in bed all day reading manga.

It's his retirement plan.

It's not about disorders, it's about economy being sluggish.

People actually want to go to jail because they will have food, shelter ect. without having to work and struggle.

It's going to get worse.

Japan isn't safe anymore.

For all we hear about how much safer and better Japan is than the rest of the world, the sobering reality is that it's just another country

Again, like it or not Japan is one of the safest countries to live in the world..

Instead of nonsense whining, check statistics and get real..

Less Feelings and More Facts..

Oh no, nit again. Well, it seems that it’s known that this chap has mental health problems.

Wasntuis yet another failure by Japan’s poor mental health services?

saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life behind bars

Give him what he wants

Along

More likely get sent to the nuthouse, maybe where he should have been all the time you see.

I no longer stand close to the edge on a platform.

Such incidents ae also common in USA with some nut pushing someone off the platform.

I remember standing on an escalator on a small station in Hokkaido listening to the tape loop telling me how terribly dangerous (taihen kiken) it was. It advised me to stand between the yellow lines. Being of a contrary nature, I tried to stand outside them, but believe me, it's not possible. As I reached the platform, with no announcement at all, a goods train hurtled through at about 100kph.

There should be gates on platforms.

This has become weekly news...

It's going to get worse!

Same old charity-case talk.

Who are we kiddin. Everybody knows its not gonna be talk charity from you when the next manlet guy goes for a girl but misses last second and throws you all over the track.

copypaste "Oh no, nit again. Well, it seems that it’s known that this chap has mental health problems."

Sure as sunshine isnt gonna cut it then. hey?

These cases are still rare. Even if the JT reported one every week, it would only be 52 in a year. In a nation of 125 million people. The selective nature of news distorts perceptions of reality. Alongside this report, you are not reading thousands of reports of it not happening at other stations and at other times, every day.

Demanding barriers for public safety will give the rail companies an excuse to close stations where the number of passengers makes it uneconomic to install them.

If you are that worried, just be aware of who is around you when out in public (as you have to do in the West), rather than daydreaming.

The busiest Yamanote line stations like Shinjuku and Shinagawa still do not have barriers. I wonder why they started putting them up at the less busy stations.

Garypen

Don't you mean 90 degrees or fully perpendicular to the platform edge? 45 might help a little. But, 90 will give you the most stability against being pushed onto the track.

Except you cant look behind you. Seems to me 45 degrees gives you more situational awareness.

What's sad in Japan is they're attacking innocent people to vent their frustrations or problems in life. I know this does happen in other countries but it seems to happen a lot more in Japan.

Except you cant look behind you. Seems to me 45 degrees gives you more situational awareness.

Sure you can. Just turn your neck and hips. The real situational awareness killer is your smartphone. Stay off it on the platform.

My thoughts are that an attacker is going to choose someone standing next to the edge, facing the tracks completely. So, stand further back and perhaps not directly facing the track. My other thought is that it's easier to push someone forward from behind than it is to push them sideways, especially if their stance is slightly wide. Which is why I commented earlier that, in a pinch, 90 degrees is better. Hopefully I'll never have to test my theory.

Finally, take a boxer's stance. Much more stability. And you can get much more power in that retaliatory left hook.