Outrageous Behavior by 'Train Spotters' Condemned

Mar 12, 2024 | News On Japan

Tottori, Mar 12, 2024 (News On Japan) - Dangerous behavior by a couple of railway enthusiasts in Japan has sparked outrage as they were caught hugging a vintage train on a test run.

Photos show a man leaning over an express train stopped at a station, with one foot on the step and his left hand pointing at a part labeled "Test Run."

Another man, believed to be an accomplice, audaciously placed both feet on the "coupling" at the front of the train and posed with thumbs up as if to say "like."

According to an eyewitness, the incident took place inside the premises of the unmanned Ebi Station on the JR Hakubi Line in Tottori Prefecture on March 5th.

The witness expressed their frustration, saying, "There was someone on the platform side taking photos. I think they were shooting for about 10 minutes," and added, "It was very infuriating to watch, and it's just a lack of common sense."

The express train "Yakumo," which has been running since the Japanese National Railways era, was undergoing a test run ahead of its retirement.

Both men involved in the incident were carrying large cameras and are believed to be so-called "toritetsu" or train spotters.

According to JR West Japan, there were no JR staff on the platform at the time of the incident.

JR West Japan commented, "We are currently consulting with the police. It is a very dangerous act, and we absolutely want such behavior to stop."

Source: FNN

Typhoons Disrupt Weekend Travel Across Japan

Typhoon No. 7 continued to disrupt travel across Japan on June 27, with Japan Airlines warning of possible delays and cancellations at Haneda, Narita and Nanki-Shirahama, while Shinkansen services were scheduled to operate normally but remained at risk of delays or sudden suspensions depending on rain and wind conditions.

Two Typhoons Bear Down On Japan

As of 3 a.m. on June 27, Typhoon No. 8 was racing northeast toward the Pacific side of eastern Japan while Typhoon No. 7 was moving east-northeast south of Yakushima, with the two storms and an active seasonal rain front threatening to bring two waves of heavy rain to Tokai and Kanto after floods, landslides and river swelling had already damaged parts of western Japan.

Japan Books Spot in World Cup Knockout Stage After Sweden Draw

Japan advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Sweden on June 25, finishing second in Group F and setting up a Round of 32 clash with Brazil in Houston.

Aomori Hit by Quake Measuring Upper 6 as Hachinohe Shakes Again

A powerful earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6 struck off Iwate Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. on June 25, shaking parts of Aomori Prefecture and leaving Hachinohe, which was hit by a similarly strong quake last December, facing fresh damage.

Strong Quake Hits Aomori Prefecture

A powerful earthquake registering a maximum intensity of 6 upper on Japan’s seismic scale struck Aomori Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. today. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, with a depth of about 50 kilometers. The earthquake’s magnitude was estimated at 6.9.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Police Set Up Kabukicho Council To Protect Toyoko Kids

Shinjuku Ward, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have jointly established a Kabukicho measures council to strengthen efforts to prevent young people known as "Toyoko Kids" from being drawn into crime in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.

Chinese Man Arrested After Speeding Porsche Hits Two Cars In Tokyo

A 23-year-old Chinese man has been arrested and sent to prosecutors on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in injury after allegedly crashing a Porsche into two vehicles at an intersection in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward on June 9, leaving three people with minor injuries.

17,345 People With Dementia Go Missing in Japan Last Year

The number of people with dementia or suspected dementia who were reported missing to police totaled 17,345 in 2025, down by nearly 800 from the previous year but still at a high level, according to a National Police Agency summary.

Mystery 300-Ton Giant Hose Removal Begins Six Months After Washing Ashore

Removal work has finally begun on a massive hose that washed ashore on the coast of Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, six months ago, but crews are already facing difficulties because the structure is filled with a large volume of water.

Ex-Wife Arrested After Leaving Husband’s Body in Freezer for 14 Years

A 50-year-old woman has been arrested in Kobe on suspicion of abandoning the dismembered body of her former husband in a large freezer at a condominium unit, where she allegedly continued paying rent for more than 14 years while hiding his death.

Wanted Yakuza Arrested in 2017 Kobe Gangland Killing

A 50-year-old member of an organization affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate has been arrested in Yamaguchi Prefecture after nearly nine years on the run over the 2017 fatal shooting of a bodyguard for the leader of a rival group in Kobe.

Iranian Man Busted Smuggling 40kg Stimulants in Naan Machine

An Iranian national has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle more than 40 kilograms of stimulants from the United Arab Emirates into Japan in March, after customs officers found the drugs hidden in the bottom section of a machine used in the process of making naan bread.

Japanese Among 17 Detained in Laos Over Special Fraud Operation

Nine Japanese nationals were among 17 people detained in Laos on suspicion of involvement in a special fraud operation, while Japanese authorities have sought cooperation from Cambodian police over dozens of Japanese citizens believed to have gone missing after traveling to Cambodia.

< 2 3 4 5 >