[Violence Against the Elderly] 75-Year-Old Man Stabs Man He Was Arguing With in the Face… “Passenger Disputes” on the Rise on Buses and Trains

dragged her off the bus and stabbed her

“The sound of the newspaper is too loud”

The argument started over something trivial—

At around 10:15 a.m. on June 1, the Kamata Police Station of the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Tomio Ishii (75), an unemployed man from Minami-Kamata, Ota Ward, on the spot on suspicion of attempted murder for slashing a man in his 50s across the cheek with a knife on a street in Minami-Kamata, Ota Ward.

“The incident occurred inside a Keikyu bus bound for Haneda Garage, which had departed from JR Kamata Station. There were only a few passengers on the bus, so it wasn’t crowded.

Suspect Ishii complained that the sound of the victim, a man in his 50s, unfolding a newspaper was too loud, which led to an argument. Immediately after dragging the man off the bus at the Hinode-dori bus stop in Nishi-Kojiya, Ota Ward, Ishii slashed him with a folding knife.

The bus driver and the victim rushed to a police box, reporting that the man had been “slashed in the face,” prompting police officers to search the surrounding area. About an hour later, they arrested Ishii in the act in a residential area about 700 to 800 meters away.

At the time of his arrest, Ishii reportedly stated , “I slashed him to scare him.” During subsequent questioning, however, he partially denied the charges, saying, “There’s no doubt I slashed his cheek with the knife, but I didn’t intend to kill him. I can’t accept the charge of attempted murder.” Passengers left on the bus at the scene reportedly transferred to a replacement bus to continue to their destinations.

According to some reports, local residents described Ishii as “a nice person who always cleans up this whole area. He’s never caused any trouble.” Why did he commit the crime of attempted murder over something as trivial as the “sound of a newspaper”?

The issue of violence among the elderly

Disputes between passengers on buses and trains are a constant occurrence.Although the data is somewhat outdated, according to the Railway Police Corps, 3,462 cases of assault and battery were confirmed in 2015 within station premises and on trains. What lies behind these incidents? We spoke with Masafumi Usui, a professor of social psychology at Niigata Seiryo University Graduate School.

“Public transportation is a place where all sorts of people who wouldn’t normally interact find themselves riding together by chance. Moreover, there are times when they must spend a long time together in close proximity. When the vehicle is crowded, it’s also difficult to simply walk away.

Furthermore, while high-end restaurants have their own etiquette and family restaurants have theirs, there is no clear consensus on ‘how one should behave’ on public transportation.

Whether it’s talking on a cell phone, the sound of a laptop keyboard, handling a stroller, or the use of reclining seats and priority seating, many of these are not governed by clear rules but are simply observed as a matter of etiquette. While the number of people talking on their cell phones on public transportation has decreased significantly, you still see it from time to time.”

It is said that this incident also has aspects related to the issue of violence among the elderly.

“As people age, their ability to control their emotions can sometimes decline. Also, while societal norms are changing, some people find it difficult to accept that. Because they believe the norms they’ve built up over many years are correct, they tend to perceive others’ behavior as ‘unreasonable.’

The perpetrator in this case likely didn’t feel he was doing anything wrong; rather, he probably believed that ‘I’m in the right for telling off this noisy person.’ If the other person had simply apologized, it might have ended there, but once it turned into an argument, his mindset shifted from resolving the issue to ‘I want to out-argue the other person’ and ‘I want them to acknowledge that I’m right.’As a result of making it his goal to punish the other person, the situation escalated, ultimately leading him to pull out a knife.

“Elderly people often have a strong sense of pride, and for some, it becomes difficult to admit their mistakes and apologize. I suspect that was also a factor in this situation,” said Mr. Usui.

On public transportation, you never know who will be sitting next to you. If someone says something to you there, taking a step back might be the best course of action for your own safety.

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