Daily Lessons from Life 11 July 2009

"Social isolation leading to violence in Japan
Random murders and attacks on the increase in Japan. - Sat, Jul 11, 2009 The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN

A spate of random attacks by apparently troubled people venting their frustration on total strangers has occurred in recent months, including an arson attack on a pachinko parlor in Osaka on Sunday that claimed four lives and injured 19.


Those arrested over the attacks have told police, "It could have been anyone. I didn't care [who I attacked]," or "I'd grown tired of life."

Since last year, there have been 17 murder and attempted murder cases that police have categorised as random.


In the early hours of May 15, a passenger in a taxi suddenly struck the driver with a hammer in a supermarket parking lot in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture. The man was arrested soon after on suspicion of attempted murder.

"It could have been any taxi driver. I didn't care," the suspect said, according to a senior officer of the Shizuoka prefectural police.

The suspect was unemployed, unmarried and had few close friends or acquaintances. "He had no one to talk to," the senior officer said. "Perhaps frustrated thoughts gradually filled his mind and they grew into a kind of twisted hatred."


"I have no money nor job, and I'd grown tired of life," another killer, Takagi, told police. "I wanted to kill people. I didn't care who."

After quitting his job at a transport company in April, Takagi spent his days in almost total social isolation. It is believed he lit the fire out of frustration at his own plight.


Of the 16 people who have been arrested and whose arrests have been made public in the 17 random murder or attempted murder cases since last year, three are teenagers and seven are in their 20s. They also included three in their 30s and one each in his or her 40s, 60s and 70s.

Since June last year, when seven people were killed in a random attack in Akihabara, Tokyo, the National Police Agency has stepped up its efforts in patrolling busy streets to ease public concern. Yet no surefire way has been found to prevent random attacks.


Yasuhiko Higuchi, a lecturer at Toyama University of International Studies in Toyama, has created the term "jun hikikomori" (quasi social withdrawal) to describe people who have jobs but tend to be isolated from people around them due to poor social skills.

Higuchi has pointed out that perpetrators of such crimes are drawn from every age demographic, contrary to popular belief that those most likely to commit such crimes are young hikikomori (social recluses) or NEETs (people not in education, employment or training).


Higuchi said he had noticed the characteristics associated with quasi social withdrawal in the alleged perpetrator of the Osaka arson murder and the man charged with the street stabbings in Akihabara last year. Higuchi said such people tend to behave in a rash or foolish manner because they have few social skills despite holding down jobs and wanting to socialize.

Higuchi said. "They commit an extreme crime after magnifying their stressful thoughts and having no one to talk to." Higuchi said many quasi social withdrawn people had failed to form a proper relationship with their parents. He is calling for an educational program that would help such people adjust and form social ties."

It is increasing in Japan, a land known for not having many serious crimes in the world!! While it may be small number despite the increases, it is nevertheless one death too many whenever such mindless deaths occurred!

Lessons for me are:

1. human being are social being. They need to have relationship with someone somehow. Hopefully healthy and positive relationship that uplift the spirit and promote healthy living and lifestyle. The worst punishment to a human is to isolate him or her. This is what the maximum prison do to the hardest core criminal whenever they caused troubles while in custody. Isolation ward! Normal human being does not deserves this!;

2. while we may live in a busy city and country surrounded with people we may NOT be connected! It is wise for us to look out and look after each others, especially at school, at home and at work. It is ideal to also do the same while in society at large but that maybe asking for too much as busy people can have time for those they meet fairly regularly at home, schools, and work are considered exceptional already!;

3. if we can start that warm relationship at home, schools and work, maybe many more will NOT feel socially isolated. In the USA, after each random and mindless gun killing, there will be call for people to pay attention to the loners, the isolated, tighten gun laws, etc. Every time the momentum fizzled out after a while. Hopefully this call for action and education in Japan will get a better hearing and responses. Otherwise, we will just have to wait to read another news headline with 'another random killing'!!

Be alert. Keep a look out for isolated human being. Help them before they hurt themselves and other innocents people!