crime

98 windows smashed, staff room flooded at Odawara school

24 Comments

Ninety-eight windows were smashed and a staff room was flooded early Sunday morning at a school in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Police said they were alerted by an alarm just after 4 a.m. at Johoku Junior High School. TBS reported that police found 98 window panes smashed. A hose had been placed through a hole in the window of the staff room and left turned on.

Police said the same school suffered a similar case of vandalism in December when 30 windows were smashed.

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24 Comments
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That's harsh... I mean, I hated school too, but this is not the way to make yourself feel better about it.

How did they manage to break nearly 100 windows so quickly before anyone could call the police? Is this school out in the boonies, no neighbours nearby?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I was going to ask similar questions as Maria -- if the police responded so quickly after being alerted, how on earth did the vandals manage to smash 98 windows and get away with it?? And is there no other motivation for this than sheer vandalism?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I remember seeing this from the December occurrence... I can't believe there were -NO- cameras installed after that. What kind of dickhead loser does this to a school?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

not Windows98 (!)

22 ( +23 / -1 )

I'm sure they have a short list of suspects from the school. Who else would do this but one of the "bad boys" from there. Conveniently during end of year exam season too.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

That is a lot of windows!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Can't help but to comment on this vandalism. Not that long ago this would be unheard of in Japan. When you are over 60, the statement of "not long ago" holds a different meaning than someone in their 30's. There are always comments made about how Japan doesn't change this or that. Seeing these type of stories in the news more and more, along with serious violence stories. I would say that it can't be said, that Japan does not change.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Tell the school not to purchase Windows Vista. Windows 8 works much better.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Who would do this? In addition to a bad boy of a student, I will add: An angry parent. A disgruntled teacher. A fired teacher, shafted by his coworkers. An annoyed neighbor of the school whose complaint about whatever fell on deaf ears. Someone rightly or wrong labeled as "fushinsha" by the school. And last but no least.....A window salesman who has fallen on hard times.

If anyone wants to be presumptuous I have a tip for you; its best done when combined with a rich imagination. If you don't have one, you probably should refrain.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I've lived in this area for over a decade and teach in public schools nearby. A couple of my privates go to Johoku JHS. For some reason the area around Odawara has a bad history of juvenile delinquency. I can't really explain why. It's a pretty good place to live. That particular district (around Kayama Station) for sure isn't one of the more affluent places here. There are quite a few city owned subsidised apartments but it's hardly the typical toxic socio economic environment symptomatic of such problems. I guess it only takes a few rotten eggs though...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Johoku Junior High School.

Woah, there is a JHS down here with the same name, I hope they dont have the same problem.

I must say that this kind of vandalism happens more often than gets reported in the news, and is a societal problem as well.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Odawara school is right in town. Nice town, too. I recommend a visit to the castle and then take the train to Gora. Rather amusing rail line if there ever was one. The Odaikyu line will get you there.

As far as the school vandalism goes, this is just stupid. Probably more than one person involved. I'm sure the cops will be all over this.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

hmmmmmmmmm 98 windows broken thats alot! id say gang rivals from different schools? well idk how schools junior high schools work anymore, been to long since ive been. Or it was a demon

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

What the heck. Grumpy parent or grand parent?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's gotta take a lot of time and energy to break 98 windows. Too bad they couldn't use it for something more productive

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Assault Slingshot! High capacity marble bag!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

lol Kuya, I hadn't thought of that....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Almost the exact same thing happened at a school I worked at some 10 or 11 years ago. With the police only being notified in the morning when the first staff member got to work. I was also astounded that nobody heard anything. Someone above has mentioned that the area in which this happened has quite a few subsidised housing buildings..as did/does the area that I worked in. Perhaps a lack of pride in the community stops curtains twitching as much? Anyway, they never did catch the culprit for the first one..but when it happened again they did catch him. He only got through 40 or something windows the second time and the whole thing was thoroughly hushed up. It was one punk kid with one gigantic bee in his bonnet about goodness knows what, and it turned out that everyone including the cops knew it was him all along. I'm gonna gamble that this Odawara thing is one or two punk kids with poorly fitting trousers, a "borrowed" scooter n baseball bats (i could be wrong though)...and I would also gamble that the police n school know exactly who is responsible (of this i am sure!).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Smashed windows with rocks? How were they smashed? Finger prints on the missiles if there are any might help find the idiots.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think, an adult people (include teachers) must scold students if they do an evil deed. If it needs, inflict corporal punishment for them. These physical punishments will be for these bad students. Recently, current trend is physical punishments are too bad for child. But I think, Of course overdoing is bad but an adult people ought to instruct human’s rules to children then often using a physical punishment on them. We certain teach them that these are bad or these are good by bodily punishment now and then.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

JHS graduations are coming up soon .. I'll bet it was some kids from the graduating class just trying to cause trouble. I have heard stories of teachers sleeping on school premises the night before graduation to keep kids from trashing the gym overnight.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Putting on my Sherlock Holmes deer-stalker hat...

The high number of smashed windows suggests that it was carried out by a gang.

The members of the gang are probably graduates of the school (or else they failed to graduate).

They attended the school in the recent past.

They probably weren't the highest achieving students at the school.

That should narrow it down a bit...

or maybe not!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I live in a very small city (3^2 miles) and our middle school and high school are both covered by external security cameras. While it wouldn't alert the police as the vandalism was being performed, the perpetrators would have been caught on camera and could then be hopefully identified.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Has everybody overlooked the local glazier as a suspect?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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