Body of man found in Yokohama park

REAL Crime here Keystones.... Put down those Bicycle Registration Ticket books and go hunt down the usual suspects.

Hint, They most likely are not foreigners, and they probably have punch perms, tattoos and wear 10,000 yen cheap, gaudy suits with lots of gold necklaces. Chop, Chop...!

What? You don't think he could've shot himself? You know, suicide??

sidesmile, probably old age or some kind of disease. acute bulletysis comes to mind.

A gangster with an ichy trigger finger would be the better guess

Well, it seems like they would mention the bullet wound in the headline. If it was self inflicted, there is usually a gun somewhere in the vicinity (unless someone picked it up). Which park in Yokohama, there are quite a few, Yamashita Park would be one thing, one of the billion or so kiddie parks scattered around the city is quite another, then again a park near the night spots or near gang offices is still another.

Random gun violence is so unheard of here. Usually just knives or bats.

This was probably a mob hit.

If he died shortly afterwards, how could his body have been discovered there?

Obviously a hit job. Don't think any passerbyers dumb enough to take home a murder weapon risking a murder charge.

Well, we don't know what kind of bullet or ball it was, only that something resembling a bullet was seen on X-rays. He lived 200 meters way and there was a convenience store nearby and he had a key in his possession, apparently. He could be a victim of mistaken identity, or any number of other possibilities spring to mind.

nobody heard anything?

Schools in the area sent out text messages to all parents to pick up their kids early as a precaution ( if the assailant was still hanging around ). Hope they solve this one quick! Rest in peace old man.....

Very sad! RIP old guy out in Yokohama

I'm working in Tsurumi, which is actually just down the road from Kawasaki, and I can tell you, it's a rough neighborhood. Yakuza were most likely involved.

Devil's Assistant, quote: "Nobody heard anything?"

Well, when I go off and get updates from the J news directly, as above, someone gives me negative ratings! Well, here goes nothing, from the Mainichi. 司法解剖で死因は銃撃による脳損傷、死亡推定時刻は同日午前０時ごろと判明したと発表した。知人の無職男性（５６）と女性（５７）が約４５分前まで、公園内のベンチ付近で一緒にいたことが毎日新聞の取材で分かった。特捜本部によると、銃創は額にあり直径約８ミリの円形。銃弾は頭部内に１発あった。一方、一緒にいた知人男性によると、３人で食事し１８日午後１１時１５分ごろまで公園にいたが、杉本さんが「１人でいたい」と言ったため、先に帰宅したという The post mortem showed one round 8mm ball in his head from a handgun. Two friends, a man and a woman of 56 and 57 were with him until 11:15 pm when he indicated he wanted to be alone, so they returned home. Indications were that he was shot at midnight.

Yeah the last line about being shot in the head comes as sort of a non-sequitur given the headline and bulk of the story...

For reference, Pachinko balls are 11mm in diameter. This sounds like something fired from an illegally-adapted model gun, possibly a gas gun?

basroil - There are 8mm airsoft guns (6mm is the norm), but I've only seen plastic bbs for the 8mm guns. I'm sure there may be metal ones out there, though. Either way I'm sure the police would be able to tell if this was a bullet or a metal bb.

nandakandamandaNov. 20, 2012 - 11:06AM JST

For reference, Pachinko balls are 11mm in diameter. This sounds like something fired from an illegally-adapted model gun, possibly a gas gun?

Not from an airsoft gun, those things use 6mm pellets. Definitely sounds fishy, not like a guy committing suicide would go through the trouble of making a gun, and much less if the chance of a slow and painful death was ridiculously high. Could possibly be a guy that got involved with the wrong groups.

This guy was still alive when found by cops (according to them), question is when the hell they got there, since it only says the time it was reported.

BoredToTearsNov. 20, 2012 - 01:58PM JST

There are 8mm airsoft guns (6mm is the norm), but I've only seen plastic bbs for the 8mm guns. I'm sure there may be metal ones out there, though.

There are, but usually shotgun or old school rifles. You could just make your own with 8mm caps and 8mm ball bearings, ball bearings are cheap. But the guns themselves are not very common since most use 6mm nominal.

Those facts don't excuse the fact that the cops haven't found a weapon yet, or they would have already called this a "suicide". It's been light out for ages, and no updates?

Could he have been drilled by someone with a catapult?? Some "sporting" catapults are more than capable of seeing someone off.

Police said the man, identified as Takashi Sugimoto, 72, was bleeding from a bullet wound to the head

Certainly it doesn't take a genius to see that a bullet to the head means someone was shot. Where's the gun?

Those facts don't excuse the fact that the cops haven't found a weapon yet, or they would have already called this a "suicide". It's been light out for ages, and no updates?

Same as with yesterday's Marine trespassing incident, you need to check the Japanese news sites for the latest updates. English sites aren't updated as often.

The police are now investigating this as a shooting.

I'm working in Tsurumi, which is actually just down the road from Kawasaki, and I can tell you, it's a rough neighborhood. Yakuza were most likely involved.

I lived in Tsurumi for about three years on both sides of the track. The east side is rough and dodgy in parts but the west side of Tsurumi is lovely and has some very nice houses and scenery. I am assuming that this was somewhere on the east side of Tsurumi?

Just had a fish around some Japanese news sites. The bloke was the Aniki type, he had lived around there all his life, and looked after those guys younger than he. He was good looking and the women loved him. He used to run a construction business but had not worked lately. He had some health problems including a bad left leg. He knocked at the door of the other man's place and said he flet lonely that evening. The woman joined them and the three of them shared atsukan sake and ramen togther before they helped him walk to the park bench. When he asked them to go home before him, he had his head in his hands and looked strangely thoughtful in a way that they had not seen before, they said.

Zen, who knows. Isn't interesting how the atmosphere of a place can change just by traveling a few streets over? But from what nandakandamanda is saying, looks like I could be far from the truth.

"ball in his head from a handgun"...?

Could it be a slingshot (pro-made ones are as strong as a small caliber gun) with pachinko or other ball?

Good point Lowly, but the police have definitely stated that it was from a gun so I guess they must have found some kind of chemical trace.

The only update I can find says he was found on the bench lying back with the wound in his forehead, suggesting he was shot from the front. The police are trying to find out if he had been in any kind of trouble.