Man slashes two women on Sapporo street

Saturday 21st November, 07:19 PM JST

SAPPORO —

Two women sustained minor injuries after a man slashed them with a kitchen knife in Sapporo’s Atsubetsu Ward on Friday evening, police said.

According to police, 30-year-old Atsushi Nishino attacked two women at random on the street, then burst into a dry cleaning shop and grabbed a 66-year-old clerk from behind in a head lock.

Police were alerted and arrested Nishino on charges of assault. He was quoted by police as saying that he didn’t know any of the people he attacked but gave no motive.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 30 Total Comments Show All

Roppongi at 04:50 PM JST - 21st November

@ bushlover

"Stupidity, selfishness and being generally spoiled may have something to do with it."

Amen!

and tying to cover up for criminals, or excusing bad behavior is good old stinking thinking.
PleasureGelf at 04:56 PM JST - 21st November

Every year I hear stories of a crazy, knife-wielding man in the streets of Atsubetsu-ku, but I always thought it's just an urban myth. This year it actually happened. Whodda thunk?
Foxie at 08:08 PM JST - 21st November

Boss - episode 2 - maybe they should stop airing thoses dramas
dolphingirl at 08:37 PM JST - 21st November

A few stats for anyone interested: In 2007, there were 40% more knife crimes than there were 5 years earlier. The numbers are still quite low compared to other countries; fewer than 5,000 violations of the knife crime law.

Random assaults are always particularly disturbing. A crime of passion is no less forgiveable but at least we can understand the motive behind it. A crazy man on the streets, slashing women with no apparent reason is frightening and makes Japan seem like a dangerous place.

It's hard to say whether the number of violent crimes in Japan is actually increasing. I think that more crimes are being reported and recorded creating the impression that there is more crime. Then there are more stories in the media which results in fear and panic. Finally, the public demands harsher punishments. Harsher punishments means more people going to prison for longer time and also probably leads to a crack -down on crime, more arrests and ex-convicts who become repeat offenders. And the cycle continues...

Basically, Japan is still a pretty safe country and crime hasn't increased very much. It's only the public's perception that has changed drastically.
bakabaka at 08:55 PM JST - 21st November

Kitchen knives should be banned. Problem solved.
moonbeams at 09:38 PM JST - 21st November

What's wrong with Japanese guys in their 30s?

don't loop the whole country in with this guy.
Disillusioned at 09:39 PM JST - 21st November

dolphingirl - The numbers are still quite low compared to other countries;

That may be so, but the knife crimes in other countries are usually the result of street and bar fights. They are not the result of some lunatic walking around randomly slashing at people, as is all too often the case in Japan.
Madara at 10:06 PM JST - 21st November

Maybe seasonal change is connected to a mad man in 30's slashing knives.
biglittleman at 10:10 PM JST - 21st November

Is it possible there is web site or blog for these losers to learn their craft?

I believe the ideas come from 2channel.
Sarge at 11:15 PM JST - 21st November

"grabbed a 66-year-old clerk from behind in a headlock"

That's it - ban wrestling!
Wolfpack at 01:07 AM JST - 22nd November

I wonder if there are more random knife attacks or if it is just reported more now than in the past. There is reason to believe that social changes in Japan can be attributing to this type of behaviour. Enonomic insecurity and an uncertain future for the nation as a whole due to a declining/aging population and staggering debt and welfare obligations make for bleak prospects for a young man. Woman don't want to marry at a young age and many don't want to be married at all. These aren't excuses but perhaps contributing factors to this type of an outburst. Then again, Nishino is probably just a nut case.
Roppongi at 01:46 AM JST - 22nd November

@Disillusioned

"dolphingirl - The numbers are still quite low compared to other countries;That may be so, but the knife crimes in other countries are usually the result of street and bar fights. They are not the result of some lunatic walking around randomly slashing at people, as is all too often the case in Japan."

I agree, thanks for keeping the FOCUS, that's a main problem over here in Japan.

BTW you should see what the US embassy says about "crime in Japan its very intersting.
Weasel at 04:28 AM JST - 22nd November

Anger management issues?
airrunwesker at 12:17 PM JST - 22nd November

I am simply glad he did not kill anybody!
dolphingirl at 06:46 PM JST - 22nd November

Disillusioned: Street fights and bar fights seem pretty random as well. They are unplanned, impulsive and offender may not know his victim. And they probably stem from basically the same emotions: frustration, rage, jealousy, rejection...

I would guess that crimes of passion, where the perpetrator knows the victim, are far more common than random crimes in any country but we are more shocked when we hear about random violence because the victim could be anyone, even us.