Knife-wielding woman attacks 7 at Hiratsuka Station

Tuesday 29th July, 06:18 AM JST

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tkoind2 at 06:08 PM JST - 29th July

Kun, punishment just doesn't work.

Again and again studies have found that people who commit crimes are not deterred by punishment. Just doesn't enter into the equasion when people like this are making decisions to hurt people. Deterrents work for rational people. These are clearly not.

Bring back impaling people on sticks at the station and it still won't stop crimes like this from happening. You have to address the root causes or it will go on and on.
nandakandamanda at 06:14 PM JST - 29th July

The WHO has for years been putting huge pressure on Japan to allow institutionalized mental patients back out into the care of the community.

The government has gradually agreed that this is the way to go, and their immediate aim is to free up 70,000 beds of easily manageable patients. This process should be kicking in shortly. Are we ready for this, and if not, what can we do to help?
skyguym42 at 06:15 PM JST - 29th July

Remember that anything you do beyond very basic self-defense (that is, avoiding being stabbed yourself) may be viewed by the police as an attack in itself. If you see a crime happening, get away and call the police. Sounds cowardly, but it's what you should do.

3 years ago a friend witnessed an incident where a foreigner tried to stop a teen who was kicking an old lady who had fallen in front of him on an escalator. Said foreigner grabbed the teen to get him away from the victim. The little thug punched him, broke away and punched two other people including a cop who had come to the ruckus. The police said he had "aggravated" the teen further because "being grabbed by a foreigner was particularly upsetting" and they were thinking of charging him with assault. Not a single Japanese stepped forward to defend him. They decided not to charge him, but the lesson is clear...leave the area, it's not your job to help.

It's a very sad commentary, but this is a choice the Japanese system has made, so don't feel guilty. Just move along.
roobus1 at 06:24 PM JST - 29th July

Public punishment will not do much at all, except make a few souls feel slightly relieved (i had a friend stabbed to death in the UK and the guy got 10 years, he's released in 2.. I know about wanting revenge!). If a person is sick they should be helped and Japan fails to do that, also I think Farmboy has a point, if you are raised in a society where you never see your salaryman father, you have to study from dawn until dusk and are constantly put under pressure.. you are gonna end up "quirky" and quite probably wnating some kind of attention... my Girlfriend is Japanese and she could not wait to escape... she misses her heritage but work ethics and dumb consumer lemming society mentality.. she hates with a passion !
sensei258 at 06:54 PM JST - 29th July

How about public caning for assaults, and public executions for murders?
dr_jones at 07:53 PM JST - 29th July

Japanese are trend-followers! Yesterday it was committing suicide with the gas mixed by toilet cleaners and other chemicals. Today it's stabbing other people for problems they have no relation with. This trend will be over in a month. Let's see what's next!
Blue_Tiger at 08:43 PM JST - 29th July

My question is, why to people stand by and do nothing when these sick-os do their thing with the knives? I can understand people not doing much, and running for their lives when a sick-o has a gun and is popping off rounds.....but a knife? One would think that someone, SOMEONE would have the fortitude to tackle the knife-weilder and beat him/her into submission.
KitsuneYoukai at 12:10 AM JST - 30th July

Sounds like family isn't everything since it seems to be one of two reasons given by people who commit such crimes. The other being work.
NavyPilot06 at 01:27 PM JST - 30th July

Blue, it does not matter if it is a gun or knife no one will put themselves in harms way to save someone else unless its their own family being harmed. that includes you. Think about should you decide to tackle this person in the knife is now stuck in your chest. You would have stop this person but at what cost. your own life, let be for real for a minute. No one is willing to lose their life trying to stop some idiot, whom you are probably not aware of. Human nature is to protect your self and your interests. I really hope that something will be done to help prevent things like this from happen in the future, Japan is really a nice country to reside in and I was pretty comfortable there when I lived there a while back. Hoping to return to comfortable life there again soon.
akuma1985 at 04:46 PM JST - 30th July

those stories become really boring. if those people are tired to lives just make sucide alone and don't piss off other. the sadest in those story is than all off those crimnal have none originality. since akiba case all stupid japanese people take a knife and try to kill someone with. it's just ridiculous. since akiba every day when we watch the TV a new agression case will occured. i want to meet the next just to send him or her to the hospital.
JoeBigs at 05:45 PM JST - 30th July

roasis at 03:04 PM JST - 29th July As always I feel this won't STOP!! until & unless they are beaten in Public.

This is not China or Korea, n Japan people are brought to justice through the legal system. Justice will be handed out properly and not by a lynch mob.

NavyPilot06 at 01:27 PM JST - 30th July

Well said, I dont like armchair heroes....Those always get other people killed.
Blue_Tiger at 10:08 PM JST - 30th July

NavyPilot06 - I hope I neverh ave to put myself in that situation, but at the same time, if I see some sick-o plunging a knife into soemone , how can I just walk by or run away, and not try to stop this person? And as far as that knife ending up in my chest, the sick-o could miss, at which point an uppercut could finish him or her. The reason these sick-os prevail is because of people being selfish and/or fearful, and that is exactly what the sick-o wants. If the sick-o comes up from behind me, that's one thing, but if I see him or her coming, that opens up a whole 'nother ballgame. What if I stand my ground? what if standing that ground makes the sick-o think twice? That may be enough time for (a.) others to get to safety and call for the police and, (b.) an opening to incapacitate the sick-o. Further, if the knife does end up in my chest, and I leave this world, I'd rather it be going forward and trying to do the right thing, than running away out of mortal fear....
GlowingStar at 02:44 AM JST - 31st July

Oh Japan, Why there are increasing sickos or zombies dwelling to you? Do anybody knows where to buy a body knife proof wear instead of bullet proof wear? May authorities will settle this continuous crime to solve and regain safety measures to the people living in Japan.
ElectricJapan at 09:23 PM JST - 31st July

I'd hate to see if she had problems with her mother. What would she have done then?
nandakandamanda at 03:05 PM JST - 1st August

I'd hate to see if she had problems with her mother. What would she have done then? Electric Japan

Er... use the other end of the multi-tool? I dunno, what are you suggesting?