crime

TEPCO employee arrested for attacking passerby while drunk

31 Comments

Police said Saturday that they have arrested a 30-year-old employee of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) for allegedly punching and kicking a passerby in the street in Tokyo while drunk.

According to police, the suspect, identified as Hidemi Fujino, is an employee at the Ginza branch of the power utility. Police say Fujino was drinking with coworkers before the incident took place around 1 a.m. on Thursday, TV Asahi reported.

Investigators said Fujino began kicking a traffic cone while he was walking intoxicated down a street in Shibuya. When a passerby admonished him, Fujino allegedly flew into a rage and began attacking the man, TV Asahi reported.

The victim sustained minor injuries to his face and head in the attack.

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31 Comments
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Geesh, No need to drink so much Hidemi Fujino, to assault someone who notices you are doing wrong. I assume the traffic cone was where it was for a reason. How much alcohol he put in his system depends on Hidemi Fujino and him alone. Obviously it was too much. He needs to spend a few months in jail to do some reflection on his actions.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

He needs to spend a few months in jail to do some reflection on his actions.

that is unlikely, better transfer him from Ginza branch to Fukushima branch (if they have one) !

7 ( +7 / -1 )

a few months of helping to clean-up the power plant should give him plenty of time to contemplate his actions!

5 ( +5 / -1 )

"for allegedly punching a kicking a passerby." huh?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

why did the idiot "admonish" the guy? He's probably like the old guy that got his head done in after giving another guy grief for crossing on a red light. People should keep their mouths shut - else they'll end up with a fist in it...

-7 ( +1 / -7 )

I take it he doesn't work in the Public Relations Dept at Tepco....

4 ( +4 / -0 )

People should keep their mouths shut - else they'll end up with a fist in it...

Actually, I think it's good for other japanese to speak up. there isn't enough of it. they should admonish their fellow citizens if they see them doing something stupid. Last night I was in the subway and there was a drunk idiot who lit up a cigarette while waiting for the train. It's last train so there were people around. One guy said something to him and of course the POS reacted and became volatile, trying to be tough behind his gf who was restraining him saying, "ii no ii no" I'm glad that guy spoke up and said something to him.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Starting out the new year with a criminal record .....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What a classy guy!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

why did the idiot "admonish" the guy? Because people are getting sick and tired of seeing bad behavior and no one saying a thing about it? Like Maitake, I think it is good when people speak up about such things. They guy was kicking property that was probably paid by tax money. If more people spoke up, the rest of us wouldn't have to deal with such behavior. I speak up and won't stop. Ignoring the problems don't make them go away, it makes it worse as others will think such behaviour is okay. Clearly in this case, it wasn't.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I agree with other posters that said we should speak up. I was waiting in the lobby of a hospital when one old guy starting complaining and causing trouble for the hospital staff. I sat there listening for a few minutes, had enough of his "I'm a CUSTOMER, so treat me like a king" attitude, and I politely asked him to keep it down or take his discussion elsewhere because he was making me feel uncomfortable. He didn't even look at me (maybe he was scared?) but he shut up after that.

5 ( +7 / -1 )

why did the idiot "admonish" the guy? He's probably like the old guy that got his head done in after giving another guy grief for crossing on a red light. People should keep their mouths shut - else they'll end up with a fist in it...

That's the best way to get kicked and insulted we ourselves and our wives and children tomorrow. And if there is nobody else around us to do it, police, volunteer street patrols, vigilantes, that is we who has to do it. But the main point is we should do it in a way that doesn't create more problems i.e. not aggressively, not yelling, or might just call the police, ask for help, but to hide our heads in the sand won't help.

More importantly, it naturally doesn't apply to everybody. The physically weak, the totally unprepared might be better asking for help instead of meddling they themselves.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Kudos to the guy for speaking out. It's not an easy thing to do, especially in this nation where you CONSTANTLY hear about people being attacked and often murdered for admonishing people that are doing wrong. As for this TEPCO worker, I say send him to the 'stricken' Fukushima plant for cleanup duty.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This scum should not be enjoying drinks in Ginza, let him go clean up the radiation up there in Fukushima!!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I'm surprised he didn't tell the police his actions were due to radiation poisoning.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Agree with those who promote castigating idiots; I myself wherever possible will take a Keitai using/red light running/parked over the pedestrian crossing driver to task. As others have pointed out, toleration of these numbskulls just leads to the perpetuation and proliferation of the stupidity, which can often be dangerous, and is at best anti-social.

@bicultural - have seen the "not looking at you as you admonish them" on many an occasion. They are like a guilty-looking dog that you come home to after the dog has done its mess where it shouldn't. It's a classic Japanese thing; not looking at a perceived problem, hoping that it just goes away. You either get that or the hollow "suimasen". Worst of all is the embarrassed smile/chuckle that some idiots give you. Nothing surer to ramp up the anger than someone finding an admonishment amusing...

As I have said before, many Japanese won't say anything to keep the "Wa" (harmony), but it's these idiots who are throwing the Wa out of whack, and so any admonishment administered by a member of the public should be regarded as redressing that Wa.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Alcohol has absolutely nothing to do with it.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Indeed, if people don't speak up the future will be full of such behaviour which is more dangerous.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The fact this buffoon works for Tepco has made this a news item. Is there such a shortage of newsworthy items at the moment JT?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This would have been even more sensational news if the drunk had been a member of the U.S. military.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Never makes sense to reason with a drunk. Having said that, I will step in if someone else is being threatened or attacked. Idiots will be idiots. It's not the job of regular civilians to police or keep people in line. That's what cops are for. Still, like I said, if someone is being attacked you bet I'll get in the middle of it. To ignore that is just cowardly. Of course now I've said this, I'll probably stumble on some extremely dangerous situation, and have to put my money where my mouth is....doh!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If this guy worked for Yoshinoya, would it be in the news? I don't think so! This is an easy way to beat up on TEPCO, not like I am a fan or anything, but I'm just saying.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Michael Blast this idiots. Anybody who wears a TEPCO badge owes the people of Japan a big fat payout and a sincere apology. What's this guy doing going around attacking people? Do you realize how much restraint the citizens of Japan have shown? Not even a good egging of their building.

I'm surprised the fire alarms haven't gone off at TEPCO. So yeah, the way I feel about it. Give them negative press and give em hell. If these guys so much as cross the street on a red light put them in the news. We paid for the light so they better respect it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

TEPCO gets away with so much, yet the employees get arrested. Hmm double standards here...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In general, I would like to thank the guy for admonishing his fellow for the poor behavior. He's definitely not meddling into the drunk's business, since keeping the peace should be everyone's business.

For me, this is a breakthough in the Japanese practice of ignoring things that are happening around them.

I had an experience in a train with a drunk fellow a few years ago. He was talking to the other passengers in a very loud voice that people are starting to stare at him, and those beside him are slowly creeping away. As I was near the guy, I whispered to him "chotto koe wo sagatte kudasai". When he saw my gaijin face, he went silent and went off the next stop. Once I got out of the train, several pasengers gave me a slight bow.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am not really sure that it is a good thing to especially blame this guy for being part of TEPCO. I mean, it is just a company like every other for most of its employees. They do normal jobs, they do not think about the consequences of their actions and their company's actions, they do not care if there are harmful consequences from the fact that their wages get raised.

I'd be happy to see large parts of the TEPCO managment go to jail, but I don't think it is fair to put the blame on the small employee in some city office who just had the bad luck to end up in one of the most criminal companies of Japan. He's not educated (by the public system) to ask questions after all.

He was a violent idiot. Put him into jail for one or two nights, then fine him a decent fee and make him pay all the medical bills and a compensation for the victim. I guess that's fair. It is definitely not fair judging him harsher for just being an employee of TEPCO.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why speak up? The TEPCO guy was being an idiot in the first place. I would have just decked him without saying anything, sat on his back until the keysones arrived and told them that this drunkard tried to hit me with this cone (as I point to it), and in trying to protect myself I raised my arms to cover my face and I guess my elbw accidently hit him.

Morale of the story? The guy was to drunk to remember anyways and the keystones are too stupid to know any better.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I dont mind getting admonished if there is something to admonish, but I have been given a bollocking twice today so far by two old bag obaasan for doing absolutely nothing wrong at all! Some people are just walking around looking for trouble.

In this case though, fair play to the guy for speaking up. I cant stand it when selfish bullies get away with bad behaviour because everyone is too scared of them to say anything.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Typical anti-social behaviour of a TEPCO employee - nothing new here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Looks the jerk totally lost his way of life.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Maitake

Actually, I think it's good for other japanese to speak up. there isn't enough of it. they should admonish their fellow citizens if they see them doing something stupid.

I agree completely. I think that silence is one of the biggest problems in Japan. Japan isn't really a country of law, so shame and social pressure are really the only ways to bring change. So needed changes can't come unless more people speak out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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