Three teens arrested for setting homeless man's shack on fire

Saturday 29th August, 11:00 AM JST

FUKUOKA —

Police arrested three 15-year-old high school students Friday on suspicion of arson after they allegedly set fire to a homeless man’s riverside shack in Kurume City. The 51-year-old homeless man was not there at the time, police said.

According to police, the homeless man had previously cautioned the boys after they began playing with fireworks. One of the boys was quoted by police as saying: “He pissed us off, so we did it to get even.”

Another homeless man living in a shack next to the one that was burned witnessed the incident, and called police from a nearby convenience store. Fifteen minutes later, officers discovered one of the boys riding his bicycle about 1.5 kilometers away from the fire. The other two were subsequently arrested.

News reports

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 22 Total Comments Show All

Farmboy at 12:22 PM JST - 29th August

Yes, there seem to be more and more unfeeling people in the world. It's hard to turn kids like this around, too. I don't know what the answer is after they are this old. I'm sure you can't beat them into being considerate, though. It takes a desire on their part to change their character.
gogogo at 12:26 PM JST - 29th August

He pissed us off, so we did it to get even.

ahh Japan the land of revengeeeee!
bobcatfish at 01:27 PM JST - 29th August

i think we should send some japanese homeless to my native australia to teach our homeless how to live and have some respect for themselves and others.

japanese homeless have more pride and class than most australians. they have my respect and i have no problem seeing them on my walks along the river.
bob91343 at 02:44 PM JST - 29th August

So they burned the home of the homeless. What does homeless mean anyway?
Disillusioned at 03:15 PM JST - 29th August
They must have been scanning YouTube and come across the homeless bashings and fire setting in the US.
- Yes, Japan is the land of revenge, but you can be assured it will come in the form of a cowardly attack on the defenseless or from behind.
nipponreddog at 03:29 PM JST - 29th August

These young punks should be tried as adults and tossed into the clink. This kind of bs happens all the time in Japan nowadays. 7 years ago, 3 "minors" similarly beat to death with metal bats a 69 year-old man, Mr. Seitaro Komode, who peacefully lived under the Sobu Line train track near my home. He was a kind old man who never hurt anyone. When asked why they killed him at 2 am, these delinquents answered, " We were stressed and beating the old guy made us feel better."
Monoflow at 04:35 PM JST - 29th August

In other countries (happend in America, Germany etc.) kids set homeless on fire. It seems to be at least still a kind of borderline beyond Japan kiddos in what kind of criminal act they are doing. But I'm afraid this will change as well within short time...
ilcub76 at 02:26 AM JST - 30th August

I saw this on the Japanese news last night, and the first thing I thought was that they are students from the school where I teach (since it was reported that it was a private school). There are only 4 private schools in Kurumre, so I think this. I will find out on Monday at the teachers' meeting, but I'm just glad that the name of my school hasn't come out in the news (yet). But I can say that we have some bad kids at our school (bosozoku and yakuza). The teachers can only do so much, especially during summer vacation, so please don't direct negative comment toward the school.
JayJayE at 03:29 AM JST - 30th August

I've been away from my country for a while, and I'm not American but Japanese youth are different. I can't put my finger on how, they just are.

I mean drugs are more common in my country, as is theft and bar brawls are not unheard of, so to say Japan is more dangerous is absurd.

But it is different. I live in Kawasaki and you see this shit all the time. I don't mean that it's bad, it's just has no point. Mugging a guy for cash I understand, of course I don't support. But burning a homeless guys shack because he told you off.

It's not that these kids are bad, it's that they're bad for a reason I don't understand. And that makes me worried.
elbudamexicano at 07:58 AM JST - 30th August

These 3 teens have some real problems, but just because these 3 loosers have problems, you can not say all kids in Japan are messed up, but these 3 sure are. Just last week or so a 6th grader gave his father heart massage CPR until the paramedics arrived! A real young hero! So we can not say all kids are bad, plenty of good kids out there too!
sutekinahito at 04:20 PM JST - 30th August

japanese homeless have more pride and class than most australians. they have my respect and i have no problem seeing them on my walks along the river.

Bobcatfish, I've just arrived back in the land of the slow and overfed after five weeks saying with various Japanese families. I agree with your sentiments; I've also noticed, with compassion, the noble faces of the homeless during my walks.
BurakuminDes at 07:54 PM JST - 30th August

It does not surprise me that Japanese teenage boys did this.

I agree with other posters, homeless people here have pride in themselves and what little they have, so this cowardly, gutless act is all the more sickening. Many Japanese even deny that there are any homeless in Japan, or pretend not to see any. Good luck to this poor bloke, wish I could help him out a bit.
benhur at 07:59 PM JST - 30th August

totally no respect!
Sarge at 08:05 PM JST - 30th August

"He pissed us off"

He must have looked at them sideways.
flatearther at 11:15 PM JST - 30th August

@JayJayE- I couldn't agree more with your comment. I myself have been looking for a way to explain some of the things I've seen here and I think you just summed it up for me.