Woman hit by car, then stabbed by driver in Gunma

Thursday 11th December, 05:47 AM JST

GUNMA —

A woman walking along a road in Ota City at 5 p.m. on Wednesday was hit by an oncoming car and then stabbed with a kitchen knife by the driver of the vehicle, police said Thursday.

Kanai Mobara, 36, a nurse and resident of Ota City, was stabbed several times in the back but her injuries were not life-threatening, police said. The man stabbed himself in the abdomen, and was also taken to hospital, where he is in critical condition. Police believe him to be a 35-year-old unemployed man who lives near the scene of the attack.

Mobara told police she had never met the man.

Kyodo News Service

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Latest 15 of 38 Total Comments Show All

BBLeo at 08:40 PM JST - 11th December

We can see crystal clear that unemployed people did now become criminals. Such issues will grow up bigger, unless lawmakers start to think very seriously. Accused must be on the edge of his own razor blade, and this poor woman cop it for nothing. Hope she recover, but the suspect should be put into 'nut house.'
USAkuma at 10:52 PM JST - 11th December

Just another day in "Peaceful" Japan. The police probably won't even write this up as a crime since the man hasn't yet confessed to anything. Note that no where in the JT article does it say that the police have any intention to arrest the man.
Triple888 at 10:57 PM JST - 11th December

These strange crimes will happen more often as the global economy dives deeper into turmoil.
cleo at 11:22 PM JST - 11th December

Note that no where in the JT article does it say that the police have any intention to arrest the man.

Arresting someone involves a stupendous amount of paperwork. If his critical condition is likely to turn into a deceased condition, they're probably right to wait.
USAkuma at 12:32 AM JST - 12th December

My point though is that since they will indeed wait... and if/when he dies, they won't file a report, then this is not considered a "Crime." thus the police can continue living in denial, saying that reported (or filed) crime is very small, thus Japan is peaceful.

Nevermind that the poor woman who was the victim of this senseless attack will have physical and mental scars of the incident for the rest of her life.
cleo at 01:10 AM JST - 12th December

if/when he dies, they won't file a report, then this is not considered a "Crime."

Pardon my French, but you don't know what you're talking about. Whether they arrest a person or not, the report of the crime still gets filed. Or are you seriously suggesting that no report of a crime is filed until they arrest a suspect??
ptolemy at 01:20 AM JST - 12th December

Police believe him to be a 35-year-old unemployed man

Its always the the quiet ones and the 35 year old unemployed you have to keep an eye on. I hope he recovers, so the tremendous amount of paper work to arrest him can be completed and the metal bracelets are put on him and then a giant guy named J. Tanaka can begin to stab him in an area that will make him regret hurting this woman and the fact he lived through his self inflicted critical injuries. Poor J-cops have it so rough. All that nasty paper work between the bike checks and ATM duty.
USAkuma at 01:39 AM JST - 12th December

I am suggesting that this is not the first violent crime of this year, and I am suggesting that the number of incidents involving violent crime of the depraved nature seems to be increasing not only in number but in sadism. And I am daring someone to prove that Japan is still as safe as the police claim it is. Finally, yes, I am suggesting that the National Police Crime figures are and have been skewed in a way to minimalize crime numbers in order to maintain their quotas.

And yes, I am worried that CLEO's statement:

Arresting someone involves a stupendous amount of paperwork. If his critical condition is likely to turn into a deceased condition, they're probably right to wait.

Is likely true. And as a result of what Cleo has said, the police CAN possibly minimalize their paperwork by waiting for the guy to die, then call it something like a "suicicidal incident" and file it with train jumpers rather than file it as a true crime of assault. Thus keeping the crime percentages down.

But by all means, I will wait to hear or see a link showing that the man is arrested or somehow criminally charged and sent to the Big House for assault and attempted murder.
antizombie at 01:40 AM JST - 12th December

Possibly they knew each other. If it is not the case, that man was a serious psycho!!!
cleo at 01:55 AM JST - 12th December

And as a result of what Cleo has said, the police CAN possibly minimalize their paperwork by waiting for the guy to die, then call it something like a "suicicidal incident" and file it with train jumpers

The police aren't going to do anything 'as a result of what Cleo said'. Cleo doesn't have that kind of influence.

Not rushing to arrest a bloke who is possibly on his deathbed does not equal filing a case of assault as 'suicide'. Get real.
ichinensei at 02:58 AM JST - 12th December

I dont think it's safe to walk around alone anymore in Japan.. too many crazies around
USAkuma at 10:33 AM JST - 12th December

My point is that this story is yet another reason NOT to believe the the police, or the government when they claim that Japan is peaceful and safe, except where foreigners are involved.

There are plenty of Yokoso! Japan implications by the government that Japan is Safe. These repeated announcements lure the innocent from around the world, who in turn become the Lindsey Hawkers or women like this nurse.

Japan, IMO, is the only country to deny that it has a crime problem. U.S.A., U.K., Australia, China, etc. they all have good and bad points. And they warn people when they arrive not to go down dark alleys alone or flash large amounts of money openly.

But in Japan, there are no such warnings given. And whether or not this particular case is filed as attempted murder or not, I will still bet that the National Police will be pressured to say that "Overall" crime is down in Japan.

What is needed is for the country to wake up to the need for more psychological counseling and moral education or situations like this one will become commonplace.

Sure, we can say "At least they don't have guns." But this case shows just as much callus lack of respect for life as any drive-by shooting would. And it seems to have much more in common with the Akihabara killer than it does an act of passion that was claimed by the man who killed the ex-government officals over the death of his dog 34 years ago.

If anyone needs to "Get Real," its the people who deny that cases like this are the tip of the iceberg for much worse problems.
cleo at 11:06 AM JST - 12th December

Japan, IMO, is the only country to deny that it has a crime problem.

Yes, that is only in your opinion. No one, as far as I can see, is denying that Japan has crime. Or that crime is a problem. Or even that, overall, crime is 'down'. (The BBC, quoting Japanese police figures, states that crime is Up, not down: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1472175.stm )

Japan does have less crime, and on the whole less violent crime, than many other countries. This is generally accepted, though the actual figures may be disputed and probably are higher than reported. It's one of the reasons Japanese tourists overseas are such an easy target; they aren't used to being on their guard the whole time, because at home it isn't necessary.

If by psychological counseling you mean more psychiatric counselling, I agree with you, more is needed and will be needed, to help the people who cannot cope with the economic downturn. But I don't think that has anything to do with whether the police rush to arrest a man in critical condition in a hospital bed, or make sure all the t's are crossed and i's dotted first. The perpetrator isn't going anywhere soon.

By your logic, if Ishihashi turns up dead in a forest somewhere, the Lindsay Hawker case becomes a non-crime and is scrubbed from the record; surely you can see that is faulty reasoning.
nigelboy at 11:10 AM JST - 12th December

then call it something like a "suicicidal incident" and file it with train jumpers

Nope. They're investigating as "attempted murder".

http://mainichi.jp/area/gunma/news/20081211ddlk10040141000c.html

And I am daring someone to prove that Japan is still as safe as the police claim

I don't think the police "claim" anything of the kind. Please stop making things up.

Finally, yes, I am suggesting that the National Police Crime figures are and have been skewed in a way to minimalize crime numbers in order to maintain their quotas.

So far, you have not shown any evidence to support your argument.
bamboohat at 07:36 AM JST - 17th December

The whole "Japan is a low crime" is a myth that is largely perpetrated by foreigners that have never been here or maybe only once or twice, and have only seen Japan from the "tourist with a pocketful of money perspective."

that being said, Japan certainly does nothing to dissuade this opinion, and I would say that Japanese media over report other countries crime, rather than accurately report on its own problems, in order to make its citizenship feel better.

That being said, I have two experiences with a vistit to a police box. One was attempting to report that my bike was stolen, and when I went to the Koban, no attempt was made to take any information, and I was told to "come back with a Japanese speaking friend."

Second was to ask for the location of an internet cafe. In this instance they fell over backward and attempted to speak english to help me (at least three people).

Same police box, two separate occasions.