TOKYO —
A cloudless summer Sunday afternoon. You’re strolling around downtown, enjoying the crowds, basking in the sunshine, savoring the freedom of a day off, musing to yourself with a smile that though the world has problems enough it also its satisfactions – and all of a sudden there’s a knife in your gut and you’re dead. It sounds like a macabre fantasy. It’s macabre enough, but no fantasy, as the random slaying of two people June 10 in Osaka Minami reminds us.
The suspect, 36-year-old Kyozo Isohi, reportedly told police he wanted to commit suicide but couldn’t, and so killed purely at random, hoping for the death penalty. Is there any defense against such people?
Shukan Asahi (July 13) puts together a list of simple protective measures it says might keep you alive should someone sharing a street with you go berserk owing to some private anguish that, however pitiable, has nothing to do with you.
Rule number one would seem to go without saying but doesn’t: “Be aware of your surroundings.” An ex-police officer explains: “Usually your five senses in free play are enough to alert you to anything strange or anyone suspicious in the vicinity. Lately though, many people in the streets are listening to music or focusing on their cell phones. It’s outrageous.” You take your safety for granted at your own peril.
Avoid underground passages and the middle of the road – the former because there are no escape routes, the latter because an attacker can come at you from any direction.
Carry a sealed bag of powdered pepper to fling in an attacker’s face.
Carry a thick leather bag. It makes a good shield. A knife doesn’t penetrate leather easily. If there’s a book or computer in the bag, so much the better. Keep in mind that most knife thrusts are at the chest or stomach, and develop a protective instinct.
Don’t show your back. “When old-time mountaineers encountered a bear, they kept it in sight and retreated slowly,” says the ex-police officer. “Same with a random street killer. Don’t lose sight of him.”
An emergency consultant Shukan Asahi speaks to agrees, adding, “Random killers tend to go for people who are running away. Best step slowly backward until you can slip into a building.”
Making life more complicated is the fact that random killers no longer necessarily look the part. At one time the perpetrator was almost invariably a young man. No longer. He is increasingly likely to be an older man in his 50s, 60s or 70s. (And though the magazine does not mention women, they are not immune to violent despair either.) “Increasingly an inadvertent bump on the shoulder or some similarly trifling cause can unleash an emotional explosion,” observes Hosei University criminologist Keita Ochi. “If you see someone who is obviously in a bad mood, it’s best to keep your distance.”
All this advice is no doubt good and necessary – but it certainly mitigates the carefree pleasure of a sunny Sunday afternoon stroll.
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SimondB at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:38AM JST
Are these people serious? I'm more likely to be attacked by a shark in a paddling pool then be a victim of completely random violence resulting in death. The advice they give is madness:
Perhaps I should wear a rubber helmet and 6-inch rubber soles to protect me from lightening strikes. And a full mesh mask for when crows go bad. Should I also have some protection plan for when airliners drop out of the sky because occasionally they do. How do I save myself from unexpected metorite strikes? Does powdered pepper divert them? Maybe I should just stay at home but what if an earthquake hits (although if trapped I could live for a few days on my powdered pepper. Why does life have to be so hard?
gaijinfo at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:41AM JST
Pretty much all you need. Sadly, most people (both here and in other countries) walk around with their eyes glued to their cell phones, so an attacker could take his sweet time walking up to them with a huge knife and they still would be surprised.
This is just ridiculous. I wonder why this unnamed source is an "ex" police officer.
SimondB at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:53AM JST
What are the chances of being a victim?
Lets say 120 million people in japan X 365 days in a year, divided by say, 5 deaths a year from random attacks gives you odds of one in 8,760,000,000 of being a victim. Then when you factor in the powdered pepper defence.......
borscht at Jul. 05, 2012 - 07:01AM JST
According to the scenario presented in the first paragraph, all of the preventative measures are worthless because you'd be dead. Hard to keep the crazy person in sight while you pepper spray him and slowly backup when you're dead.
The only measure presented of any use is "Be aware of your surroundings." Even then, according to Keita Ochi, something trifling could set off a crazy person and you'd end up with a knife stuck in your body.
But according to all my friends and co-workers on this island nation, I needn't worry because Japan is a safety country.
LFRAgain at Jul. 05, 2012 - 07:20AM JST
Asinine suggestion.
As if someone trying to avoid being randomly stabbed has any realistic chance of whipping out a ziplock bag of pepper, prying it open, and tossing its contents in the face -- much less the general direction -- of an attacker.
Being aware of one's surroundings is about the best you can do. Anything more than that invites the kind of crippling paranoia that can diminish quality of life, not mention increase your chances for an early heart attack due to living hyper-stressed all the time.
That's the thing about random events: They're random. In other words, there really is no pratical way to prepare for the worst of them.
I remember this shooting that took place a few years back in Osaka or thereabouts where a Yakuza asshat walked into a cafe and tried to gun down someone he had an issue with. He ended up killing and injuring several bystanders whe just happened to be in the same cafe that day.
The following week, morning news programs were awash with suggestions from "experts" on how to protect yourself in a random shooting in a cafe. One program in particular devoted a surprising amount of time and seriousness to the idea that flipping your table up -- a la Jack Bauer -- and holding it at a 45 degree angle versus perpendicular to your attacker gave you the greatest chance of shielding yourself from flying bulets.
They had a point as far as the mechanics were concerned, but keeping the presence of mind to flip up a table at a 45 degree angle when a nut with a gun decides to shoot at you in the middle of your cafe mocha? Just bizarre.
iceshoecream at Jul. 05, 2012 - 07:27AM JST
Grab the nearest chair, bicycle or whatever you can use to smack the person, then run. That of course given the fact that you are not just frozen there (like it happened to me once when I saw a car coming straight at me).
Okinawamike at Jul. 05, 2012 - 07:30AM JST
holding it at a 45 degree angle versus perpendicular to your attacker gave you the greatest chance of shielding yourself from flying bulets.
Is that 45 degrees up or down?
Opinionhated at Jul. 05, 2012 - 07:47AM JST
Sounds like the sort of thinking that made America the place of fear and panic it is today. Don't want this in Japan.
TrevorPeace1 at Jul. 05, 2012 - 07:47AM JST
A good rugby player would tackle him. From behind, of course.
Himajin at Jul. 05, 2012 - 08:24AM JST
Someone trying to stab you with a knife is focused on thrusting forward. You can knock their arm out to the side relatively easily, buy yourself some time. You can't stop them from thrusting inward towards you.
Ben Jack at Jul. 05, 2012 - 08:38AM JST
LFRAgain,
Your above post is one of the many reasons you are one of my favorite posters on JT.
JeffLee at Jul. 05, 2012 - 08:46AM JST
Be aware of your surroundings.
That's a big challenge for most Japanese people. Especially the obatalians in my neighborhood who stand still in the middle of exits, ticket gates and another other pedestrian bottlenecks, utterly obvious to the world around them.
Probie at Jul. 05, 2012 - 08:50AM JST
Japanese people can't do this.
I see this guy went to the Marx Brothers school of policing. What an idiot. Should we get some cream pies too?
Again. In Heiwa Japan, Japanese people can't do this.
Although I am pro, death penalty. Crimes like this happen a lot. If the DP was abolished, I'm pretty sure these kind of crimes would lessen.
INFOWARSJAPAN at Jul. 05, 2012 - 08:59AM JST
My Thai Boxing instructor said your best defense is your feet. Just run away. But if you have to stay and defend your high-maintenance, high-heel wearing fragile feminine companion that's another story. ............. Nah, same story. Just run and leave the dumbiotch.
Seriously, the best preventative measure is BE AWARE. I never look at my cell or listen to my mp3 while walking. I observe what's going on around me. Seems common sense.
Smartphone addicts are sheep going to the slaughter.
timtak at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:03AM JST
There is considerable research to show that Japanese are more aware of their surroundings than North Americans who tend to concentrate upon and remember only central focal objects, whereas Japanese pay more attention to background, contextual features of their environment. See for example this summary. http://www.ualberta.ca/~tmasuda/index.files/Nisbett&Masuda2003.pdf
Robert Dykes at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:05AM JST
I almost fell out of my chair when read this "Carry a sealed bag of powdered pepper to fling in an attacker’s face." What about my smoke bombs and bat-a-rang?
tmarie at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:06AM JST
Hmmmmm, could I start selling bags of powered pepper and make my millions???
Cricky at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:09AM JST
This is a stupid article, on so many levels. You can buy key ring pepper sprays and tazzers for that matter. I've seen 2 foot long cow prods on sale if your that scared! These idiots count on no resistance, if they spark up grab use anything and attack them,they are trying to kill you, if you can't run then attack. Buy some time I'd hope someone would intervene. Not much else to do if your surprised, except offer your neck.
combinibento at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:12AM JST
To whoever wrote this article - I know a great group of like-minded folks in the US you may want to hang out with. It's called the Michigan Militia and you'd all have a great time thinking of this type of nonsense in preparation for the non-event you spend hours hoping for.
INFOWARSJAPAN at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:13AM JST
timtak
If the "central focal object" is a knife-wielding maniac I would rather concentrate on that instead of the background.
INFOWARSJAPAN at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:21AM JST
Seems Japanese are good at noticing what conforms (the general environment vs the invader) and Americans are good at noticing what doesn't conform (the invader vs the general environment).
Six of one, half dozen of the other. In other words, a moot point.
Thoughts about cultural differences will not help you in a fight, timtak.
It"S ME at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:22AM JST
I see people mix H2H Combat and Self Defense skills up again.
Agree with the guy "your feet" are your best chance, all MA Instructors and any decent police officer will tell you.
"If you can disengage yourself do so and leg it. Leave wallet, handbag, etc behind if need be."
AS for knife attacks most of the times you know a skilled person has it when he already cut or stabbed you. Also much of what is so called Self Defense classes is taught puts you on a 50/50 chance if injuring yourself by your defense or attack.
And those skill need to be trained and rehearsed may it even be with a tazer and even pepper-spray. Pepper-spray also relies on distance, wind-direction, his breathing patern, etc and you don't want to hit any bystanders, cause Cops don't like that one.
Most commercially sold sprays are way weaker than what the police and military use and if you can go get one that is tinted with paint that can't be washed off for days. Helps the cops identify the perp if he flees.
Most women are too shy to get close enough to use a handheld tazer.
Virtuoso at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:22AM JST
Once a Japanese is stabbed by a crazed slasher he will use his camera phone to shoot a picture of his wound, mail it to all his friends, and then continue to tap out a stream of trivial messages until exsanguination results in death. And only then will his (or her) thumb stop twitching.
nandakandamanda at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:31AM JST
Doesn't anyone find the word 'berserk' in the title strange? These random nutjobs don't really go berserk.
They watch and wait, then slide up silently and slash you, or push in the knife.
thywillbedone at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:31AM JST
Timtalk, I wish I could agree with you..
Your point was they do so more than North Americans, and I presume that's correct; however, I notice recently here in Tokyo, a surprising number of people are totally focused on their hand-held devices while walking or even biking. People walk strait at me oblivious to our collision course. I move out of the way, or they look up at the last moment. I've not collided yet fortunately.
Also, this is not only young people. Many middle aged and retired people are equally zoned out.
Bruce Dady Love Gherbetti at Jul. 05, 2012 - 09:46AM JST
How 'bout disarm the freak and choke him out.
Liberty Joe Lowe at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:03AM JST
As a martial arts instructor I could write a book on the subject. I would agree with the first two comments, yes forget the powdered pepper. If an attacker comes at you with a knife and you dick around trying to open a pepper bag, too late you are dead!
If you think you can outrun the attacker, if he is older, fatter, then run If you don't think you can outrun the attacker using your bag, as mentioned in the article as shield is a good idea and will buy you some time and allow you to kick the attackers legs, knees, groin. Take him down hard and fast and get to a safe area before he recovers.
INFOWARSJAPAN at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:08AM JST
Also, this is not only young people. Many middle aged and retired people are equally zoned out.
My experience exactly, thywillbedone
INFOWARSJAPAN at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:11AM JST
Just yell at the top of your lungs and do the "windmill" attack.
Liberty Joe Lowe at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:12AM JST
There is one point I am not sure about in the article, doesn't make sense. It says to avoid the middle of the road as the attacker comes from any direction. This is true but it means that you have more time to see the attacker coming and you can also go in any direction. My belief is to stay away from the edges of the pavement/road as an attacker can easy ambush you (hiding behind a car, hidden door, corner ) and you have no time to react!
Another good point is that the article says that killers are more likely to chase someone running. This is true, its animal instinct. As I mentioned run if you think you can outrun your attacker or you kick him down.
Of course as most agree there is nothing better than being aware!
ExportExpert at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:20AM JST
Carry a sealed bag of powdered pepper
Excellent idea, great advise i must remember to do this next time i leave the sanctuary of my house, so often when i have been out in public and not attacked I have sat down to dine at a restaurant in japan and there is no pepper on the table, i can now dip into my pocket and use this attacker repellant enusring that the advice to carry a small packet of pepper works excellently.
Spanki at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:22AM JST
Haha carry a sealed bag of powdered pepper?
Yea right! If you get stopped and searched by the police, the muppets would probably arrest you and hold you until they've had it tested!
LH10 at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:27AM JST
seriously kill yourself but not others, and its destiny if its your time to die then it is there is no control, i could die just by walking down the street and some random car kills me or like this article some random person stabs me...its all up to destiny. so live life now, you only got one life in ya
INFOWARSJAPAN at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:33AM JST
I say, so what if the attacker is likely to chase you if you run? 1) a running target is more difficult to hit. 2) your back is less vulnerable to life-threatening damage than your belly, front of your neck, face etc. 3) The attacker's adrenaline is used up hoofing it rather than slashing at you.
If you are fat, in a wheel chair or just can't seem to haul ass... and you are alone... well, good luck.
Think of primitive societies. What advantage do they have over us softy "civilized" folks? 1) they are habitually aware (watch out for that snake, tiger etc) 2) they can leave predators in the dust because they stay fit (tiger meets human, human splits before the tiger realizes the human could've been lunch)
ju123 at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:33AM JST
I think this is a great article to make people at least aware that such things go on. I mean really, lets not get too caught up on the statistics or likelihood, its like swimming in shark infested waters doing whatever you like, splashing around, because some stat you heard somewhere made you think it unlikely, that would be a bit foolish. Better safe than sorry.
Middle of the road makes sense, easier sensing any impending danger if you have a building or something on one side of you.
JA_Cruise at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:34AM JST
Good advice, and makes some good points. I would be more apt to be pro-active and do a blind flying kick to the assailant's back. Call me Superman, but it is just what I do.
ribstick at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:42AM JST
Tell him a joke. He'll be on the ground laughing, and you can be on your merry little way.
ExportExpert at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:52AM JST
As ealier stated by some one in this thread these attackers often pick their target usually some one who appears weak or sick, best way to avoid being a attackers victim is to have a meanacing demeanour, people tend to give you a slightly wider berth and guttless attackers will leave you alone often sensing they will become the victim if they try to attack,
This defense works well late at night on a dark street or other dodgy area and i am sure would work just as well in a crowded street or station.
To this very day I have had 100% success using this method , i have never been threatened, abused or attacked or even looked like it while out in public places. A menacing scowl can work wonders at some one who maybe thinking you are a victim.
ExportExpert at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:55AM JST
A menacing scowl and one or two steps in their direction can often make them cower and move away, i am not big and muscle bound either just know how to exhibit the correct behaviour, body language works fine.
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land at Jul. 05, 2012 - 11:15AM JST
I've never seen mace, pepper spray, or stun guns on sale here in Japan. Seems like key ring pepper spray could sell well here.
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land at Jul. 05, 2012 - 11:16AM JST
Or how about peeper spray? That's more likely to be useful.
ExportExpert at Jul. 05, 2012 - 11:21AM JST
Mace or pepper spray can be bought in japan, some toy hobby shops used to sell it and it can also be bought off the internet.
passingtime at Jul. 05, 2012 - 11:45AM JST
Spend my life living in a paranoid defensive fear because of the one in a million chance that some random stranger is going to lose it near me, or actually accept that there is a an element of risk in all things and simply enjoy my life. Hmmm. That's a tough one.
papasmurfinjapan at Jul. 05, 2012 - 11:57AM JST
So the ex-cop basically recommends if you see a person going berserk and stabbing people, back away and don't get involved - that's what the police seem trained to do, so I guess I shouldn't expect any more from an ex-cop.
But personally I couldn't just back of and watch him kill innocent mothers, children and elderly who didn't happen to have a plastic bag of powdered pepper available. If anything I wish they would teach the best way to bring down a psycho randomly stabbing people, not how to run away from him.
smithinjapan at Jul. 05, 2012 - 12:00PM JST
Being aware of your surroundings is easy enough to do even IF you're listening to music or checking your cell phone. And while I know some people get glued to their phones and DON'T pay attention to their surroundings, it would be a shame if we couldn't enjoy ourselves while out for a walk or en route to somewhere. Admittedly, I'm more aware of my surroundings because of crazy bicycle riding and cars going through red lights and what not. Many of the stabbings or explosive behaviour that occurs in this nation seems to come out of nowhere -- like pushing someone in front of a train or stabbing them because they accidentally bumped you and didn't apologize.
Some of the other advice sounds a little over the top and impractical unless you regularly carry a leather bag with books/computer inside (and pepper).
Wakarimasen at Jul. 05, 2012 - 12:22PM JST
i love the focus on the how to stop them aspects of the story. and yes they are ridiculous. To me the most bizarre sentence was:
Making life more complicated is the fact that random killers no longer necessarily look the part
Did they used to?
You can but tasers and ,mace and everything in Akihabara.
Thomas Michael Lewis at Jul. 05, 2012 - 12:42PM JST
Rule number one would seem to go without saying but doesn’t: “Be aware of your surroundings.”
This made me laugh, people in Japan -Tokyo and Saitama atleast- have the worst cases of Tunnel Vision I have ever encountered, stepping straight onto the pavement without checking for joggers, bikes etc, the absurd number of car collisions and pedestrians well Im not going to get into listing them all.
But the people here really need to open their eyes.
oikawa at Jul. 05, 2012 - 01:49PM JST
I think someone just has gone berserk haven't they, at a supermarket in Shizuoka or something?
Alex Einz at Jul. 05, 2012 - 02:33PM JST
We need guns!
sf2k at Jul. 05, 2012 - 03:16PM JST
Croikie! Japan has turned into a Steve Irwin parody
Vernie Jefferies at Jul. 05, 2012 - 03:32PM JST
So you are suggesting that we bring powdered pepper to a knife fight?
Yaklut at Jul. 05, 2012 - 03:41PM JST
If the Japanese people truly want to defend themselves, they are going to have to fight for their second amendment rights. One option is to consider statehood, but that might prove a time consuming process. If that cannot be done, the Japanese can adopt amendments from the US that would help Japan. For example, the right to practice self defense and protect one's family - the second amendment - would be very popular in Japan, where people live in constant fear of these types of violent crimes due to the fact that they don't have the right to protect themselves.
Ah_so at Jul. 05, 2012 - 04:11PM JST
I do not know about the right of self-defence in Japan, but :
1) I dispute whether people in Japan live in constant fear of violent crimes 2) I am sure that the use of reasonable force would be acceptable in a violent confrontation 3) Whatever people's fear of vioent crime, it is not because of the lack of a constitutional right to defend oneself
In Britain there is well-founded fear of violent crime, despite the legal right to defend oneself.
Virtuoso at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:01PM JST
Yaklut@fewer than 20 people in Japan last year died from gunshot wounds, and very few of those were non-gang members. When people go postal with knives it's bad enough, but I have never heard a Japanese say he wished he could own a gun for self protection. If this country were to suddenly to abandon its strict regulation of firearms I would depart the same week, for someplace else with sane gun laws. I have no desire to live in Dodge City or Tombstone.
cl400 at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:08PM JST
Thank god for this advice. From now on I am going to walk with my back against the wall all the time while holding a sealed bag of chilli powder. If I am in the open I am going to twirl and twirl until I find a wall again. I will also never listen to music in public again nor look at my phone, even if it is ringing.
Farmboy at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:18PM JST
So you have this bag of chili powder, oh wait, it's powdered pepper, not chili powder (black pepper? white pepper? Oh, maybe chili pepper...), and you throw it at the crazy person. What happens? Does the bag break? Do you need to fill a shaker at that point? If the bag does break, does the person become a seasoned criminal? I think I need to get a notebook and write this down...
Thunderbird2 at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:32PM JST
Depends where you are.
I don't know how I would react in that situation. I certainly won't be carrying around pepper... the local plod would probably think it was drugs. Assuming I wasn't already stabbed/slashed I would grab the hand holding the weapon and twist it... or if I was close enough kick him in the balls.
cleo at Jul. 05, 2012 - 06:57PM JST
LOL
Laurenço Iscariot Shells at Jul. 05, 2012 - 08:36PM JST
Oh crap, Not a good week 4 me. I think I am the only guy that was thinking about another zombie bath salt num num num attack here before I read the article. I was a little shocked when it featured the hardknock life choronicles of a butthurtis vaginosis maniac with a blade.
At one time the perpetrator was almost invariably a young man. No longer. He is increasingly likely to be an older man in his 50s, 60s or 70s. Does that mean the pissed off young man morphed into the grumpy mean old bastard?
In all serious, when I'm on short skirt/daisy duke patrol it usually does include scoping out the scene. If a hard bump is what sets these ladies and gents off the most, maybe it comes down to a little more suimasens and less facebook status checking.
Frungy at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:31PM JST
... idiotic advice. If you've got him down then keep him down. Turning your back on someone you think is down is the best way to get a knife between the shoulder blades. Kick the knife away. Sit down on him. Invite others to take a seat. Wait for the cops. If he complains bounce up and down until he stops complaining.
As for defence, consider everyone else around you. It's just one guy. If people stopped being such sheep and running in panic, and all just all took one kick the guy would be a bloody pulp in seconds. Do your bit. Give him a good kick (knees or groin for preference).
Bob Sneider at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:43PM JST
I'd just stay vigilant in places where there are known crazies. Like Akihabara.
DentShop at Jul. 05, 2012 - 10:56PM JST
Phew, that counts me out
T-Mack at Jul. 06, 2012 - 12:30AM JST
Once in Tulsa Oklahoma, my two little brothers came to my apartment and said a man was raping one of their friends, I quickly ran out to the car where this was happening and pulled a man off a young girl who was crying for her life. He pulled a knife on me so I crushed him with the car door, he dropped the knife and one of my brothers grabbed it. We called the police and they came but the guy had fled. He later showed up at my apartment floor balcony with a nine mil. semi auto hand gun. I kicked the gun over the fence. Reached inside my balcony door and pulled out my 30-30 deer rifle and cocked it and a shell flew out to the ground and I pinned him to the ground with the barrel. I held him there until Tulsa Sheriff showed up and arrested the white punk. I don't know why I did what I did, but I thought I was helpping someone, only to meet this punk again. The girl was okay, and we had quite a story to tell. But a bag of pepper was not on my mind. Just life and liberty, and the right thing to do...
spahnmatthew at Jul. 06, 2012 - 03:50AM JST
This silly powdered pepper idea will only work if the crazy person assaults a victim with a Swiss Army Knife:
MR. INSANITY: "Hey, I want to kill you so stay still and don't flee while I protract my Swiss Army Knife blade!" "Hmmm... corkscrew, nail file, ... now where is that darn blade when you need it?"
MR. VICTIM: "While your trying to find your blade, I'll just dig around for that sealed bag of powdered pepper..."
MY EXPERIENCE: I was assaulted in by two bandits in Rio de Janeiro - one grabbed me from behind while the other attempted to plunge a knife in my chest. A fierce fight ensued before the bandits retreated to the favelas. The police believed it was likely either a racial crime or a gang initiation crime.
The key to maximize personal safety is to maintain general situational awareness. These things happen seemingly in an instant and what saved me was that I was aware of my surroundings enough to catch a glimpse of the exposed knife (and make a mental note of the oddity) a few seconds before he attacked me. It is unrealistic for a person to live his life in paranoid fear of assault, but by living in a state of general situation awareness, it can save your life.
valley-of-the-shadows at Jul. 06, 2012 - 06:53AM JST
Leg it!
Badge213 at Jul. 06, 2012 - 08:42AM JST
Some of the advice listed is silly and will get yourself killed!
WHAT? Reminded me, after 9/11 there was a passenger who carried tabasco hot sauce with him onto the airplane, so he can "throw it into the terrorists face" if they tried to hijack the airplane.
Running and taking cover is the best thing you can do if you have no other way of defending yourself. The attacker isn't a wild animal, just going slow ain't going to help!
Pepper spray is a good defense, and I know you can buy them in Japan (there's been cases where some office lady accidentally let it go off in a train car once). However I'm not sure what the laws regulating pepper spray might be in Japan.
mtwildman at Jul. 06, 2012 - 09:50AM JST
A knife attack is fast and usually not seen until you feel the pain and something warm running out of you...as a Police DT Instructor awareness is your best defense...if you expect your in a dangerous place get out there ASAP...if you see an attack coming get off the line and run if you can't run get off the line and take out the attackers vision then run...even a well armed LEO can't get off three effective shots at a serious attacker w/in 26 feet of you.
Eduardo Gonzalez at Jul. 06, 2012 - 10:26AM JST
In Japan, odds if being shot by somebody are 1 in (OH MY GOD!) 318,000,000,000, as we know that firearms ownership is solely restricted to law enforcement personnel and the military forces, but it will drop as long there are more and more reports that guns are being fallen to the wrong hands. So you're not just at risk of being fatally stabbed in the back alleys, but being shot as well mostly in the forehead. So if you're at risk, run away as fast as you can and leave no trace of you including ones that can be rebuilt later on.
But in Puerto Rico, the Pan American crime lord's paradise, an average person can conceal up to 18 guns, and I mean ones that aren't permissible in the weapons law, mostly from the middle east, and identifiable by a smuggler's boat from both Colombia and Mexico carrying the North Korean flag under the name of the recently defunct leader Kim Jong Il, putting a central American scare.
Also, the pro-statehood New Progress Party, representing the majority of the island's National Crime Force, always deny claims since 1968 that they have been held responsible for a first-degree homicide rate of 121.08 for every 150 people
Virtuoso at Jul. 06, 2012 - 10:56AM JST
I don't think the homicide rate was even that high during the Vandals sacking of Rome. You might want to double check those figures, Eduardo.
kurisupisu at Jul. 06, 2012 - 11:24AM JST
Try walking around London -I see a violent incident once a week. In Japan once every 10 years or so
Lowly at Jul. 06, 2012 - 11:59AM JST
I have never seen so many different ppl use the word asinine at once in so many yrs.
And you know what?? THEY are asinine!!
Come on!! How can they complain about such a sterling suggestion as the pepper-defence strategy?? Don't they realize that by ridiculing such a basic self-defense technique they are putting countless innocent JT readers at risk?? Innocent readers who could benefit from a good solid suggestion such as the pepper-defence??
Here is how it works. Hold pepper on your palm, palm and fingers flat, facing up. Take a big breath and blow. Rigt at the crazed attacker. The pepper automatically goes in his eyes. He will then crouch down on his knees sobbing and cursing his luck!
THE PEPPER DEFENCE IS FOOL-PROOF!! I have seen it used successfully with my OWN EYES in COUNTLESS Ninja movies. The other commenters making statements to the contrary are ignoramuses. Perhaps they are the crazed-attackers-in-waiting! DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU!!!
mtwildman at Jul. 06, 2012 - 12:23PM JST
"THE PEPPER DEFENCE IS FOOL-PROOF!!" actually it's fool resistant.
almxx at Jul. 06, 2012 - 04:37PM JST
Any self defense expert knows the first rule is to not go into dangerous situations.... The best defense is to stay on your sofa or easy chair with pepper in your hands. Both hands. Keep your doors locked, stay away from windows and don't lounge around in seductive outfits. People who follow these rules rarely get killed by strangers in the street. Life is hard,by the way, because life is a punishment. Minimize your punishment.
Elbuda Mexicano at Jul. 06, 2012 - 05:14PM JST
What?? Safety Japan no more??
Peter St. Christopher Kelly at Jul. 07, 2012 - 01:24AM JST
Some dimwit without proper writing traing and a spouse visa must have written this logically flawed piece to annoy right thinking members of society
Eduardo Gonzalez at Jul. 07, 2012 - 10:17AM JST
@Virtuoso: That was the exact reality I have faced in my lifetime since 1994, where the reported homicide cases nearly reached in their thousands, and where in San Juan, every 15 seconds, 15 people are shot in their foreheads by state's legislative members
Jack Stern at Jul. 07, 2012 - 07:07PM JST
My worst encounters with Japanese have been in drinking establishments not on the street. Drunken Japanese men and women can lose control but there is almost never a knife involved. Then again, other patrons usually come to the assitance of foreigners (hopefully).
Eric Schneider at Jul. 07, 2012 - 08:44PM JST
when in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout....
When you think about the proabability of actually being involved in such an incident as opposed to being killed in a traffic accident then you suddenly realize that driving lessons might be a better investment.
T-Mack at Jul. 08, 2012 - 02:30AM JST
Nowhere is safe! Not your home, not your car, not the street. You must keep your eye's on everything and everyone. Be ready at all time's, I strongly sugggest learning Martial Art's or some form of self-defence. I chose Shotokan Karate and American Judo. Has helped me more than I can remember, and is also why I am so fond of Japan and want to travel there one day. I hate the thought that the people there would naturaly think I am a Criminal........DoLittleBeLate.. I hope that's just your opinion ........and not Japan's
Suzu1 at Jul. 08, 2012 - 05:01AM JST
The key thing is to react to what is happening. So many people in Japan try to ignore disturbances and just mind their own business - anything to keep from getting involved. I saw a high school kid beating the hell out of another kid in a crowded Tokyo train station and middle aged men just walked by as if nothing was going on. Which is perhaps OK for a dispute involving two other people but not when it is a lone crazy person who will lash out at whoever is within reach.
bluesea67 at Jul. 10, 2012 - 08:34AM JST
Yep pretty sure I like the idea of not walking in the middle of the road.. Keeping aware of your surrounding. I have never seen any Japanese aware of their surrounding. Yesterday, my mate and I were sitting in a coffee shop totally amazed at how many Japanese crash into each other while crossing the street, 100% using phones at the time. On a side note, I do Aikido we do Tanto training that's using a fake knife, about the size of a large kitchen knife to stab and to disarm each other. Backing away not running is a good option I guess. But if the guy has got it in for you, from what I see in the class room, you haven't got a chance unless you had some serious training and then the chances low
timtak at Jul. 10, 2012 - 01:02PM JST
Pepper spray can be purchased legally in Japan, but it is illegal to carry it in public places
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land at Jul. 10, 2012 - 01:21PM JST
Haha, what's the point then? For home defense only? Best not leave the house!
Thomas Anderson at Jul. 10, 2012 - 01:31PM JST
I think it's illegal only in some places. It's not outright banned in public.
It"S ME at Jul. 10, 2012 - 01:37PM JST
Pepper-spray can be handy but it needs hand and quickly accessible.
Seen many women that attach it to their key-ring and dump it into their handbag or similar, ditto for many other Self-Defense weapons.
kcjapan at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:10PM JST
"The suspect, 36-year-old Kyozo Isohi, reportedly told police he wanted to commit suicide but couldn’t, and so killed purely at random"
The obvious problem? Kyozo Isohi, reportedly told police he wanted to commit suicide and had no one and nowhere to go for help. How often do suicidal individuals choose violence against others and can they be helped before they kill?
The pepper pack and the heavy leather purse, can I do that at the beach too? How about a leather apron, neck to thigh, and a battery powered siren that shouts 'help' in three languages?
jlh02 at Jul. 12, 2012 - 03:15PM JST
Sorry Mr murderer, can you please give me a minute while I reach into my bag, take out the pepper spray and spray your face before you stab me?
soal158 at Jul. 28, 2012 - 03:27PM JST
Be a hero hit the idiot.