Man drives car loaded with gas, kerosene into city hall in western Japan

Tuesday 01st July, 06:35 AM JST

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Latest 15 of 28 Total Comments Show All

USNinJapan2 at 10:32 AM JST - 1st July

tkoind2

At 61 I think this guy isn't old enough to have any issues with the government regarding the recent retirees' insurance fiasco. The people that are protesting are much older I think. Besides, this guy had previosuly/recently been arrested for assaulting staff at this city hall so he was evidently a certifiable nutjub prior to this incident.
8iamhappy8 at 10:37 AM JST - 1st July

The oldies are just committing crimes to get attention.
papasmurfinjapan at 10:45 AM JST - 1st July

Tondabayashi is about 400 kilometers west of Tokyo.

In other words, "in Osaka".
wilbur at 11:17 AM JST - 1st July

this is much better...target politicians, who are the cause of most unpleasantness, rather than stabbing random people on the street
papasmurfinjapan at 12:19 PM JST - 1st July

rather than stabbing random people on the street

I'd say the random mass murder of a number of innocent clerical workers on the first floor of a government building would be just as bad as a random stabbing.
realist at 01:33 PM JST - 1st July

I know what this guy did was not right....but reading between the lines, there is a deeper side to this saga. He said he had contacted the "elderly care and human rights departments (sic)" but they ignored him. Then the people in those departments denied knowledge of him. Could it be that this guy was treated like many who go to these charade "departments?" That is, ignored? If so, the guy was probably acting out of deep rooted frustration- and that seems to be the main cause of lots of crimes in Beautiful Japan.
whynothow at 01:40 PM JST - 1st July

Actions will always be better than anonymous self-righteous comments posted in forums. I agree with the clerical workers bit. They "work" 18hours/day for dirt pay and then this?

Here is a Bill Hick quote: "If you`re gonna kill somebody have some f...ing taste..."
flash1480 at 01:44 PM JST - 1st July

He cant be a terrorist, he's Japanese. Keep on harassing gaijin for ID, while these clowns drive into crowds and get out thrashing blades, or drive flammable laden vehicles into public buildings. Wheres the priorities? Wake up dumb J cops.
Cos at 02:32 PM JST - 1st July

Most people that complain about "ederly care" (or its absence) are in their 60's. They have parents in their 80's, 90's, 100's. Their old folks need care and can't stay on their own, while themselves are supposed to keep working. In Osaka, the city hall tells them "day care center" for ederly is available half a day per week, please take a ticket, we'll call your number.

I am sure that hundreds of people have thought "well done !" when they read this article. BTW, he hasn't killed anybody, and nothing says he wanted to do more than break windows.
papasmurfinjapan at 03:33 PM JST - 1st July

and nothing says he wanted to do more than break windows.

nothing except the "three gas canisters and containers of a liquid that smelled like kerosene in his car", which could have been part of a feeble attempt at a suicide bombing.

We all know the pension system is seriously messed up. We all know the government is incompetent and corrupt. We all know they aren't going to listen to the complaints you make to some poor contract worker hired to do menial tasks in government buildings. It is true that only action will bring about change. But violent action is unacceptable, especially when the victims probably have absolutely nothing to do with this man, nor the authority to help him. If it was your son/daughter/husband/wife that was cut by the glass, or if luck was not on their side, and someone was hit by the car or blown up by the flammable liquids deliberately put in the car for presumably such a purpose, would you still say "good job"?

Perhaps I sound like a self-righteous bastard, which I admit, I can be. But this is not one of my self-righteous rants. This is about respecting the lives and well-being of innocent people who do not deserve to be injured or killed by an old man with a grudge against the government.
DenshaDeGO at 03:47 PM JST - 1st July

I'd say the random mass murder of a number of innocent clerical workers on the first floor of a government building would be just as bad as a random stabbing.

While I'm not for murder, government workers these days pretty goddamn stupid. I'd hardly call them "innocent".
nycsamurai at 12:47 AM JST - 2nd July

it was not clear what the man planned to do with the canisters.

Really?!
Youdontknow at 12:49 AM JST - 2nd July

JT - if Tondabayashi is in 'Western Japan' then where does that place Yamaguchi, Hiroshima and Kyushu? China? I think it would be more appropriate to name it as 'Central' Japan.
MeanRingo at 11:48 AM JST - 4th July

If they'd just taken the drivers license away from all those over 60, like I told them to, then none of this would have happened.
smithinjapan at 03:16 PM JST - 5th July

Better start finger-printing the Japanese... seems like yet ANOTHER terrorist act committed by ANOTHER Japanese.