TOKYO - Police in Tokyo's Shibuya district are dealing with a steady stream of thefts, drunken altercations and late-night accidents, including a 17-year-old boy who stole a sleeping man's bag on a whim, a dispute outside a karaoke bar and an injured man who lost his memory after a night of drinking.
Shibuya, one of Tokyo's busiest entertainment districts, attracts large crowds throughout the day and night. At a police box near Center Gai, officers work around the clock responding to incidents ranging from minor disputes to potentially life-threatening accidents.
One evening at around 10:30 p.m., officers requested assistance after stopping a young man carrying an unusual object. The man explained that he was involved in a band and had been using a pair of brass knuckles as a fashion accessory.
According to the man, his mother had bought the item as a souvenir during a trip to South Korea after sending him a photograph of it. He liked its appearance and had attached it to his belongings as a keychain, apparently unaware that carrying brass knuckles could constitute a criminal offense in Japan.
Police explained that brass knuckles are classified as weapons and that carrying them without a legitimate reason may violate the Minor Offenses Act. Although the man insisted he had no intention of using the item as a weapon, officers took him to Shibuya Police Station for further questioning.
On another occasion, police arrested an unemployed man in his 50s on suspicion of stealing a bag from someone who was eating at a restaurant.
The suspect reportedly targeted the victim while he was concentrating on his meal and unaware of his surroundings. After taking the bag, the man was searching through its contents when officers approached him for questioning.
The suspect, who was receiving public assistance, admitted that he had hoped to find money in the bag. Police also discovered that he had previously been arrested for theft and had recently completed a suspended sentence.
A separate theft occurred at around 2 a.m., when a man in his 20s fell asleep on a street after working a night shift. A 17-year-old high school student took advantage of the situation and stole his bag.
A witness saw the theft, chased the boy and caught him before alerting the victim. When police arrived, they found the two sides arguing, with the victim admitting that he had slapped the boy after discovering what had happened.
The teenager told police that he had been spending time with a friend and had stolen the bag on a whim after seeing the man asleep. He also acknowledged wanting money.
The incident occurred on the first day of the boy's summer vacation. Officers questioned him about his behavior and reminded him that he was out on the streets in the middle of the night despite being only 17.
Rather than file a formal complaint, the victim reprimanded the teenager, warning him that Shibuya has numerous surveillance cameras and that stealing other people's belongings could have serious consequences.
Although the victim decided not to pursue the matter, police took the boy and his suspected accomplice into custody and escorted them to the police station for further investigation.
Alcohol-related incidents present another persistent challenge for officers, particularly during the summer months, when large numbers of people gather in Shibuya's entertainment district.
At around 1 a.m., police responded to a dispute outside a karaoke establishment after a male employee reported being involved in an altercation with an intoxicated customer.
According to the employee, the trouble began when he confronted the customer for urinating outside the establishment. The situation escalated into a physical confrontation, with the employee claiming that the customer had struck him.
The intoxicated man offered a different account. He admitted that urinating outside had been wrong but insisted that the employee had suddenly punched him repeatedly in the face.
His face was visibly swollen, and he claimed that he had been struck several times, including after falling to the ground.
Officers attempted to establish what had happened and asked both parties whether they wanted to file formal complaints or resolve the dispute through discussion.
After police intervened, the two men initially agreed to apologize to each other and settle the matter. However, the intoxicated customer became agitated again and demanded additional explanations from the employee.
To prevent the confrontation from escalating, officers separated the two men and spent approximately 10 minutes calming the customer. He eventually accepted the situation and left the scene unsteadily.
Another alcohol-related incident involved a pedestrian who was struck by a taxi after suddenly stepping into the road.
Police arrived to find the man sitting on the street alongside the taxi driver. According to those involved, the intoxicated pedestrian had attempted to cross to the opposite sidewalk at a location without a pedestrian crossing.
The taxi struck the man with considerable force, leaving a large crack in the windshield on the driver's side.
Although the pedestrian repeatedly insisted that he was unharmed, officers called an ambulance to assess his condition. He was transported to a hospital as a precaution, and police treated the collision as an accident involving personal injury.
Fortunately, the man did not suffer serious injuries, although the impact could have had far more severe consequences.
In another unusual incident, a man with a head injury arrived at a Shibuya police box at around 1 a.m. claiming that he could not remember his name, address or hometown.
The man had reportedly been found earlier lying in a parking lot with blood coming from his head. Emergency personnel provided first aid, but he refused to go to a hospital and instead made his way to the police box.
Officers attempted to establish his identity but discovered that he had neither a wallet nor a mobile phone. The man was unable to say whether his belongings had been stolen or lost.
His Kansai accent provided one possible clue to his hometown, prompting officers to ask whether he came from Osaka or Hyogo Prefecture. However, he could not provide a definite answer.
Despite being unable to remember basic personal information, the man appeared to recall the value of his possessions. He showed officers luxury-brand accessories he had in his pockets and explained that the shoes he was wearing had cost approximately 70,000 yen.
Officers also noticed a strong smell of alcohol. Although the man acknowledged drinking, he repeatedly insisted that he was not drunk and asked to undergo an alcohol test.
The situation became increasingly difficult when he attempted to leave the police box despite being unable to remember where he lived or how to get home.
Officers persuaded him to return, but he became angry after passersby laughed at him and began shouting outside the police box.
Police eventually calmed him down and brought him back inside. After approximately an hour, his memory had still not returned, and officers decided to place him under protective custody at the police station rather than allow him to leave alone.
Investigators subsequently traced the establishments he had visited and used the information to locate his mobile phone and contact his family. His wife reportedly traveled from Nara Prefecture to collect him.
The incidents illustrate the variety of problems confronting police in Shibuya, where heavy pedestrian traffic, crowded entertainment venues and excessive drinking frequently contribute to thefts, disputes and accidents. Officers stationed throughout the district respond around the clock, handling everything from minor confrontations to incidents that could result in serious injury or death.
Source: FNN
