crime

Man goes on trial for kicking customer to death in ramen shop

37 Comments

A 38-year-old man went on trial Friday, charged with kicking a fellow diner to death in a fight over seats at a ramen shop last year.

In the opening session of his trial at the Tokyo District Court, Shinichiro Imanishi pleaded guilty to fatally assaulting Hisao Kitajima, 49, in the restaurant in Tokyo's Kita Ward on Sept 27.

The court heard that Imanishi, who weighed 120 kilograms, threw Kitajima to the floor and kicked and stomped on him, before calmly returning to his meal. Kitajima fell into a coma and died of his injuries two days later.

The trouble erupted when Kitajima pulled at a chair which Imanishi was using to rest his foot on.

Imanishi, who was arrested shortly after the incident, explained to fellow diners that he might as well eat his meal, reportedly saying: "I will go to jail for sure. This will be my last supper."

© Japan Today/AFP

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37 Comments
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Not an expert on the Japan legal system so I have an honest question here... If he indeed pleaded guilty to the assault, what is the trial about? Is the entire thing just a penalty phase? (Just realized that you could kind of, tongue in cheek of course, claim that all Japanese criminal trials are just a penalty phase...)

3 ( +5 / -2 )

So did he get a side order of gyoza too? & i bet not even one customer helped Kitajima as he lay on the floor dying.

3 ( +8 / -6 )

Wc626Mar. 14, 2015 - 07:32AM JST

i bet not even one customer helped Kitajima as he lay on the floor dying.

Wc626: That's exactly what I thought as I read this article... why the hell did no one stop this guy from doing this??? Incredible!

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

So did he get a side order of gyoza too? & i bet not even one customer helped Kitajima as he lay on the floor dying.

Not sure if I'd remain in the restaurant if a big guy like was in a rage. I'd run out and call police ASAP.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

DaDude: I'm speculating of course, but I think his fit of rage would have been over in a matter of seconds. By the time police showed up, Kitajima would've been brain dead already. Even a 120kg man could be held back by 2 or 3 people (remember there were other diners and staff). The chef would also obviously have knives available, or you could simply go with a swift, hard kick to the family jewels, which would bring any sized man down at least for a moment.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Can we please have an update, when the courts pass sentence on this POS. I read somewhere that the police let him finish his noodles....please tell me this isn't true.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

If he indeed pleaded guilty to the assault, what is the trial about?

How would he plead guilty if there was no trial?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

to those of you gaijin who think you would have stepped in and stopped Imanishi - you would have been arrested had you done so.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Bingo.

It's rare that someone steps in in these situations, even in the west. Sudden violence usually happens too fast for people to formulate a plan of action on how to deal with it.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Should be the swiftest trial in the history of swift Japanese trials.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I agree burning bush

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not an expert on the Japan legal system so I have an honest question here... If he indeed pleaded guilty to the assault, what is the trial about?

In Japan, defendants don't stand up and explicitly plead 'guilty' or 'not guilty' like in the US, because under Japanese law a person can't be convicted solely on the basis of a confession (which is what a guilty plea basically is). So even where someone admits to a prosecutor that they are guilty, there must still be a 'trial' where the prosecutor presents at least some supporting evidence to a court in addition to any confession.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Horrible incident. The convict is an impatient, self-centered, immature loser.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I hope he gets a speedy trial because at any given time, Tokyo District Court judges are burdened with a staggering 250 cases each.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@misspiggy "Impatient, self-centered, immature loser." It appears that so many Japanese people have become so dissatisfied, that they too would like to kill or die, or get locked up.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

so many Japanese people have become so dissatisfied, that they too would like to kill or die, or get locked up.

Yes, so many. In a country of 126,000,000 people, the average murder rate is about 400 per year, not much more than Australia. In the US, the annual figure is around 15,000. BTW, I don't think this guy was "dissatisfied"; more like an angry, psychopathic yakuza.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Zootmoney - you're letting facts get in the way of emotion. That's not the way of posters here.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Let this be a lesson to everyone on these boards. Most japanese guys grow up in a very sheltered and Molly-coddled society. Very few of them have ever been punched in the face for being a Richard (except for their father). These thugs know they can beat down on just about anybody with no retaliation.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Let this be a lesson to everyone on these boards. Most japanese guys grow up in a very sheltered and Molly-coddled society. Very few of them have ever been punched in the face for being a Richard (except for their father). These thugs know they can beat down on just about anybody with no retaliation.

What exactly is the lesson?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@100CPM "It appears that so many Japanese people have become so dissatisfied, that they too would like to kill or die, or get locked up." I hope I understood what you meant here. I guess you're right in some respects since Japanese, in general, seem to be very quiet and polite people, could turn into some outrageous monsters by mere chance. Maybe better these days, but a few decades ago some Japanese people especially men were quite hot-tempered (like my grandpa!).

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Let this be a lesson to everyone on these boards. Most japanese guys grow up in a very sheltered and Molly-coddled society. Very few of them have ever been punched in the face for being a Richard (except for their father). These thugs know they can beat down on just about anybody with no retaliation.

Tough guy rating index = number of times being punched in the face

4 ( +4 / -0 )

good the fat loser deserves jail time

0 ( +0 / -0 )

(CYS)Google the guys name in images, says it all.Childish Yakuza Scum

1 ( +1 / -0 )

120 kilograms is a 265 pound man. You have to go into full beast mode to confront a guy that size, and most Japanese don't even close to that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I weigh about 95 kilos and when I was practicing karate as a beginner , I fought a Japanese person who weighed well over 120. Punching that person in the body didn't have much of an effect, nor did I get any where with my kicks.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

be ever so careful not to touch the chair of the person sat next to you in a ramen shop if he looks like this:

http://up.gc-img.net/post_img_web/2014/09/885d4e99c29baabc3d513965a5562a52_3276.jpeg

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Over a lousy chair? That guy must have serious mental issues.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

To those who said why nobody did anything to stop it, the guy weighs 120kg looking like a thug, what exactly do you expect people to do ? Try to be a hero and become the second victim ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Thug 120kg confined space? ....handbag Taser C2 it's the smart choice for personal protection, wouldn't need to replace the hashi, impressive drive-stun backup...Of course, 120kg of electrical induced saint vitus dance could present a public health hazard, an advocate on speed dial would deal with the legal implications up to a point.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

handbag Taser C2 it's the smart choice for personal protection

And the quick way to get yourself thrown in jail in Japan.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Yes Strangerland straight pass go minus the £200.

All female employees were offered certifcated close personal protection and conflict avoidance training. The American company completed a fascinating walk through of the official Taser self-defense products. On perusing this thread I couldn't help wondering which Taser product would have incapacitated this 120kg "Fatty" Arbuckle. Of course little old me would have struggled to remain calm but deep down day dreaming on the tube home it been crouching tiger, hidden dragon.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I doubt that any of the keyboard heroes would have tackled the 120 kilo bully in that situation alone. If all the customers in the shop jumped him at once, sure it is doable. But how do you know what a room full of strangers would do?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Whatever Batman fantasies I would have had if I'd been there I would keep to myself. I have better things to do with the rest of the day than lie on the floor of a ramen restaurant beaten to death by a guy who outweighs me by 100 pounds and seems to have something of a disproportionate response to social stimuli. However, I'd like to think I'd at least have done something like get up, go outside and call the cops. Which someone must have done.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It is tempting to think that any one of us would've intervened in that situation - but it's doubtful. Can't believe the pschyco got to finish his meal though

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That's exactly what I thought as I read this article... why the hell did no one stop this guy from doing this??? Incredible!*

Have you seen a photo of the guy? Just Google him. He is some big unit, I would not argue with him...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As everyone, I would rather call him ''mister'' than try to stop him.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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