Police in Shizuoka said Saturday that a 26-year-old man who drove his car into a crowd of spectators at a night festival on Friday night, injuring three people, told them he was in a bad mood.
The incident occurred at around 6 p.m., Kyodo News reported. Police said Kazuki Tokimori, a company employee, drove about 40 meters into a pedestrian-only area, hitting a man in his 30s, his 2-year-old son and a woman in her 40s. All three were taken to hospital but their injuries are not life-threatening, police said.
Police said Tokimori got out of his car and tried to run away but was subdued by spectators.
Tokimori’s father issued a statement on Saturday, in which he apologized for his son’s act. He said he cannot understand what made his son do such a thing.
© Japan Today
21 Comments
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sakurasuki
Was he inspired by Akihabara tragedy from the past?
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/01/29/national/kato-sorry-for-akihabara-massacre/
diagonalslip
pleased to hear it!
kurisupisu
Mental health is a major problem in Japan…
shogun36
go drive into a brick wall next time then.
that’ll definitely put everyone else in a GOOD mood.
garypen
I hope he was subdued in a very aggressive manner.
Why? He didn't do anything.
I've never understood that part of J culture.
Lindsay
Not really an adequate excuse. Luckily, the area was not crowded or there could easily have been many more injuries and likely deaths. Hopefully he’ll get the psychiatric help he needs, but it’s not likely.
tora
The heat. I'm also at the end of my tether.
Meiyouwenti
Tempers are short on hot days but that doesn’t justify driving your car into pedestrians.
BertieWooster
“Hopefully he’ll get the psychiatric help he needs”
It's quite possible he is having psychiatric "help" or has had some in the past. Many serial killers have had or are in the middle of totally useless "treatment."
Old Sausage
This motive reminds me of the novel written by Albert Camus and published in 1942 titled The Stranger where the Judge asks the accused, Why did you kill her? and he answers ¨Because it was hot your honor.¨
rainyday
Man, the guy deliberately hit a 2 year old and his dad?
Hope he spends a lot of time behind bars sorting out that bad mood of his.
Hercolobus
If you are in a bad mood it does not give you a right to assault people. Drink Cava-Cava tea like the Fijians do.
u_s__reamer
Mental illness is the scourge of modern industrial society. Now we just have to wait for the next "bad mood" copycat suffering from Japanese anomie to show up with another 4-wheeled lethal weapon.
餓死鬼
Good on the spectators, and probably fortunate that Mr. Tokimori didn't have a knife or something to continue acting out his man-trum. I'm guessing he wouldn't go pick a fistfight with a bouncer or something while he's in a bad mood.
falseflagsteve
Sounds like he's a mentalist. Can never fathom what goes through someone's brain to make them want to hurt innocent people they don't even know? I always find this type of news very upsetting.
njca4
It's shame, with a little bit of guilt mixed in there, I think.
I would do the same.
englisc aspyrgend
In the past I have often driven home after work in a bad mood, but never felt the need to plough through a pack of strangers as a means of working it off.
He was in a bad mood, that is not a mental health issue, the guy is just a self absorbed, thoughtless, cretin. A nice long rest cure in prison should cure his bad mood.
opheliajadefeldt
Tethers are in great demand at present, as are good moods. The next time he throws a tantrum and attempts to kill people, I suggest he drives of the highest cliff or may be just a bridge.
MilesTeg
Aside from incarcerating and heavily medicating, which is not really treatment, enlighten us and say what you consider 'useless' and 'useful' treatment.
dbsaiya
Someone should ask this idiot. "I'm in a bad mood, can I beat you to pulp?"
Ricky Kaminski13
A ‘bad mood.’ A level of self awareness on par with his self expression skills.