Incident with knives causes commotion on Tokyo Yamanote line train

A foreigner holding a kitchen knife is enough to strike fear in the hearts of the Japanese, as this incident so clearly shows.

This could have been avoided by the use of a bag. Oh, and people using commonsense but this is Japan...

For those familiar with the series Curb Your Enthusiasm, this is what is known as a "Larry David Moment".

From Japanese news it was a foreign chef that went back home bringing his tools while he was sleeping on train, other paranoid passenger just push emergency button after seeing that cheef tools. This one really cause the trouble. However the result from that panic, three people suffer minor injuries.

If he didn't swing the knives, how did the two men get injured?

A chef uses a knife wrap for this reason (heavy canvas roll up 'bag'). Also, they don't normally take their knives home. His story seems a little suspicious.

…. reporting that a man was "brandishing a knife" inside a train …

This report was apparently exaggerated. The man was not holding or waving any knives in an aggressive or excited way, according to the report. So he likely wasn’t “brandishing” anything.

If he didn't swing the knives, how did the two men get injured?

Injured in the stampede to get off the train.

https://twitter.com/mrjeffu/status/1672916396676898817

The self-proclaimed chef said he had brought the two knives from his workplace to take them home, the police said.

What does "self-proclaimed" mean? He couldn't provide evidence of his work, like a business card, or something? As far as I know, there's no form of special ID for kitchen workers. I think you need special permission of some sort to carry kitchen knives around. Perhaps he didn't have that.

But as others have said, he wasn't 'brandishing' anything. On the other hand, there have been some pretty serious incidents involving knives on Japanese trains, so, while an over reaction at best, there is some justification, I feel.

What does "self-proclaimed" mean?

Self-proclaimed chef: A foreigner in Japan who claims to be a chef.

Chef: A Japanese in Japan who claims to be a chef.

If I saw anyone with a knife on the train, I would be suspicious myself. This is a rare situation where I understand the nervous passengers on a train. I think in Japan, it is illegal to carry knives in public. Hence forth:

"Carrying knives, firearms, etc. is controlled by the “Swords and Firearms Control Law”. It is illegal to carry a blade of any kind exceeding 6 cm, without justifiable grounds.

Persons violating this law face imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 300,000 yen"

Some seems to be injured not because of the knife but they just panicked and fell during running away.

Seems a lot of support for the chef here, but what kind of idiot openly carries knives on public transport and thinks people will be ok with it? The guy who notified the train staff was right to flag it.

It sounds like he was upset at work and was ready to attack before he was stopped by these heroes.

What does "self-proclaimed" mean?

Self-proclaimed chef: A foreigner in Japan who claims to be a chef.

Chef: A Japanese in Japan who claims to be a chef.

Okay, well I know several foreigners who are qualified chefs working in kitchens in Tokyo, mostly with Skilled Labour Visas. They'd have used their resident's card as some kind of proof, I feel. I also know several Japanese people who are unqualified chefs working in kitchens in Tokyo.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220827/p2a/00m/0na/011000c

I knew there was a similar story from not so long ago. "Passengers panic after sushi chef drops knives on Tokyo train".

@Mat

A chef uses a knife wrap for this reason (heavy canvas roll up 'bag'). Also, they don't normally take their knives home. His story seems a little suspicious.

There's another story, he was quit his job that day. So you can considered that as suspicious if you want.

What are fire trucks doing outside the station?

Was there a fire too?

This doesn't matter whether a foreigner or a Japanese. Carrying knife openly is against the law in Japan. This is another case. The other day the uniform policemen stopped checked a Japanese man on street. He had a small useful knife (with +-screwdriver, can opener, etc) in his pocket. The policemen found it. They said this is against the firearms and swords control law. After all they took him to the koban and interrogated him hours.

No knives should ever be carried on public transport. Leave your tools at work. You don't see carpenters on trains with saws, hammers, power tools etc. Chefs - take note.

This chef is now in a world of trouble, rightly or wrongly.

How do you think temp chefs transport their equipment from job to job?!

Better put knives in the formal case. If nobody can see, no problem.

pulling the ebrake was a boneheaded move if nothing was happening and the next stop is literally 1 min away.

But theres no good reason to have knives out in the open like that either.

Idiots, both of them.

No knives should ever be carried on public transport. Leave your tools at work. You don't see carpenters on trains with saws, hammers, power tools etc. Chefs - take note.

I agree in general, but I can think of some specific cases where a chef might need to carry their knives with them. Starting a new job, leaving an old one, and as @one_consciousness said, between jobs. I also used to carry my knife roll with me on London's tube. Breakfast shift in Chelsea and lunch in Liverpool St.

Better put knives in the formal case. If nobody can see, no problem.

Yes. If you do have to take your knives on a train, this is the correct way to do it.

To date we still have varying and sketchy reports.

But a few comments on what we have.

Contrary to some posters it WAS Big News on national tv yesterday, headlining the 7 & 9 o'clock news.

The news media continuously reported it as a foreigner with knives as if the nationality is of any concern whatsoever. Never heard Aum Shinrikyo's train attack called a group of Japanese with poison gas.

It has been reported that he was a chef who had just finished his job - as in left - so he was taking his wrapped knives home.

If it's true that he was a chef then the law is on his side as a few specialist professions are allowed to carry the tools of their trade. It's the law. What may be up for debate is how securely he "wrapped" his tools. He apparently had them loosely wrapped and they were exposed as he dozed off.

Hitting the "Red Button" on a train is a very serious action which can result in serious injury.

The ensuing panic suggests the dangers of ill informed mobs in crowded places. Watching video on the news of a guy screaming get the kids off, get the kids off based on panic cries was alarming.

And if there was an apparent danger of a man with a knife(ves) why didn't the 100s of able bodied men who streamed off the train in blind panic do nothing to verify / challenge the situation.

All will come out in the wash, but atm smacks a little of public paranoia.

He is believed to be of foreign nationality? Will they do DNA testing? Fortunately the staff and passengers were vigilant and able to get y'the knife welding man from parts unknown into the trusty hands of the local police. He should pay restitution to the 14,000 people he delayed with his aggressive behavior. Japan used to be safe but know I'm afraid to perform live shows.

If it's true that he was a chef then the law is on his side as a few specialist professions are allowed to carry the tools of their trade. It's the law.

I've heard that too, but I think you need some kind of permission, at least for knives, from a local government office. Otherwise, anybody could carry one and just say that they are in whatever specialist profession. Perhaps that's why the article uses the term 'self-proclaimed' chef. Any further details on that?

E.g. Have you ever wondered why so many fire trucks arrive at a scene?

At that time no one knew what was happening in the train. All passengers were running away from train and station as soon as possible. That was really a big panic. I guess someone thought a big fire down there and called fire station. That's why many fire trucks came there.

believed to be of foreign nationality,

Again with this? How is this helpful?

Okay, well I know several foreigners who are qualified chefs...I also know several Japanese people who are unqualified chefs...

You certainly know your chefs mate!

I would be worried if I saw someone carrying cooking knives. Could have wrapped them better and the trouble would not have happened.

I'll see you two unqualified chefs and raise you one qualified chef.

You certainly know your chefs mate!

How sad, the man probably going home after work with his tools and people PANIC.

Fighto!

No knives should ever be carried on public transport. Leave your tools at work. You don't see carpenters on trains with saws, hammers, power tools etc. Chefs - take note.

What a ridiculous thing to say. Of course carpenters, plumbers, handymen, etc carry there tools from job to job. Have you never seen anyone carrying a toolbag before?

This chef is now in a world of trouble, rightly or wrongly.

He may just receive a fine, if witness accounts are accurate.

Marc Lowe - He should pay restitution to the 14,000 people he delayed with his aggressive behavior. 

Since when is sleeping on a train considered "aggressive behavior"?

Two people were injured stepping on each other pushing and shoving each others thinking there is an attacker, he never swung the knives.

I cook a lot. Sometimes I take knives or even a meat cleaver to a friend's house when I have to cook there.

Few people seem to have decent kitchen knives in there most. Most people seem to have only stainless knives with blunt blades. Stainless knives are hard to sharpen to an effective edge. Few have a heavy meat cleaver.

Fortunately I live in the countryside and drive everywhere so carrying knives is not the problem it is on a train.

I am guessing that to be called a chef you have to have a licence. Self-proclaimed chef is probably one who does not have an official licence. It seems you need a licence to prove you have attended and paid for classes for everything.

You certainly know your chefs mate!

Yes. I worked in commercial kitchens for about 15 years, from dishpig in a pizza place to Chateaubriand in a French chalet. I always take an interest in who is in the kitchen, and find a lot in common with professional chefs. It's why I'm so interested in this story.

I had kitchen knives gifted to me outside Japan, thought about carrying them to Japan in my hold baggage, but I know the law and the Japanese paranoia and how ‘zealous’ the police like to be with foreigners;I thought otherwise.

Will receive a knife today, bought online several days ago…

It sounds like he was upset at work and was ready to attack before he was stopped by these heroes."

You certainly have quite an imagination there....upset at work and stopped by heros, huh?

"Rules is rules" I guess."

Yeah...that IS a guess

That’s maybe a common pattern now, used by all those psycho knife welders, commuting with a big kitchen knife and then claiming to be a chef or restaurant employee. We had a similar case here near Fukuoka Airport a week ago or so and people of course also quickly panicked, which is natural behavior when a view of a potential threat or attack. Police quickly caught the suspicious person nearby at the next subway station.

What kind of article is this?

2 people got somehow injured by someone.

1 foreigner was sitting in the train with two wrapped knives he uses for work

Nobody has seen anything happening

As reported, a station employee called the police, claiming the person brandished a knife. However, other people did not see it, so it may have been a misunderstanding (I see no reason for the station employee to lie). Then the person got into the train, sit down, and put the two knives barely wrapped in a cloth on the seat near him. It may have been an innocent mistake, but that is not normal behavior and in any country somebody would call the police.

I go camping a lot, and have an emergency earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown pack with me 24 hours a day. It contains a cooking knife and a Swiss Army knife. I’m a foreigner. Does this mean I will be arrested just for taking public transport.

also, back in the day in Europe, I worked part time in kitchens and had to take my cooking knives to each job.

need more information on this story and Japanese law.

All the important points of Japanese law have been covered in among the posts above, Rodney.

Whatever you carry on public transport must be well-wrapped, out of sight, and obviously not covered in a way that it/they could be drawn easily. A case would be best.

You wll also need a believable story if in the unlikely event you do get stopped; the police will attempt to challenge or confirm your story by calling or visiting any persons you mention.

You need to pre-build in layers of plausibility under Japanese law, to prove your innocence against doubting eyes. Afterwards is too late for regrets.

It is never acceptable to travel with knives on a train that is visible for others to see

And yes, his employer should fire him for being reckless

Rodney

I go camping a lot

That's nice.

and have an emergency earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown pack with me 24 hours a day. 

That's weird and extreme.

I need an updated definition of the word "brandishing".

The one I've been working on is:

"wave or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement."

However this story says:

"The man was seated with two knives of around 25 to 27 centimeters, wrapped in what appeared to be cloth...No eyewitnesses saw a knife being swung."

So "brandishing" now means "owning in the presence of people who soil themselves with fear at the slightest stimulus"?

Mr KiplingToday  06:44 am JST

This could have been avoided by the use of a bag. Oh, and people using commonsense but this is Japan..

The owner of the knives was a foreigner.

JeffLeeToday  06:34 am JST

A foreigner holding a kitchen knife is enough to strike fear in the hearts of the Japanese, as this incident so clearly shows.

If you follow the news at all knife incidents have been widely reported throughout Japan and has nothing to do with foreigners. Nice try throwing racism in there.

This isn't the FIRST time this happened, is it ?

I swear I heard this story before, not long ago. Same circumstances...or is this a REPRINT

A Chef transporting his culinary knives is considered a lawful purpose. It is not a violation of the Gin & Sword Law.

However to carry it in such a manner that it can fall out or become visible, or easily accessible is illegal. I believe that became law witha JR incident fairly recently. Putting them in a bag that closed would have avoided the problem.

The police were called, two people got hurt and thousands of people were inconvenienced at a train station all because someone "assumed" that a foreigner was brandishing a knife when NO ONE else reported seeing him do so. This should not have happened. Not good, Japan. Not good. The person who caused this should be fined heavily as a deterrent for others who jump the gun before assessing situations fairly.

Maybe the reporter should have found out how the two people were hurt before he or she wrote the story. To me it sounds like a complete over reaction.

I was on the Yamamote at the time and the message said they were running a security test. They didn’t announce anything about it. Seems like an aggressive standing commuter needed a bit of attention and pushed the button for no reason. How would anyone be able to buy a kitchen knife at a store in town and take it home with the aggressive actions of the person who pushed the security button. It wasted everyone’s time and got people hurt for no reason. They should be proud today if their actions. I hope the police take action about them pushing the button without an actual threat.

one_consciousness

Why is this still the main headline news on JT?

Nothing really happened at all here.

Two people were injured and 14,000 commuters were delayed. Most people familiar with the standard definition of the English word "news" would consider that to be news.

In the late 70's I started a job a very very small restaurant as a chef's assistant. After about 6 hours, the chef, who was in fact a foreign ME person, got fed up my careful slow onion cutting, and showed me how to do it really fast - and that was really blazing fast. Unfortunately, I couldn't replicate that speed, so he got really mad, threatened me with a knife, and chased me down the high street while waving the knife. Needless to say I never got paid for that day.

If I saw a bloke carrying badly concealed knives I'd be scared too... better safe than sorry

Rule One

People can panic at little things.

(Logic no longer holds. Some idiots will scream and shout and push, and once panic grabs the majority, it's never a pretty sight.)

@Speed If he didn't swing the knives, how did the two men get injured?

According to News on Japan website ' Three people were injured in the rush to get off the train'.

Aren't there "carrying cases" for transporting knives typically, or just a proper bag would be fine.

“Two men, who were apparently injured in the commotion, were transported to the hospital, the Tokyo Fire Department said, with the police questioning a man in his 50s, believed to be of foreign nationality, to gather more details about the situation.”

So sad things like this happen there too. I hope they enforce their laws well for people to feel safe and not copy the other scary places to visit who allow such things to happen. I am confident that there will be Justice.

So many crazy copy cats.in the world!

You would have to have negative EQ and/or IQ to carry around knives openly on a train. At the very least because you could accidentally hurt someone. I would say over 50% chance he enjoyed scaring people. That's not "beyond reasonable doubt" of course. But this is merely an online forum, not a court of law.