Did you hear about yesterday's murder case in Akihabara? It was an awful incident... The murderer drove into a crowd by a truck and hit 3 people, then stabbed randomly with a big knife. 7 people were killed and 10 others were injured.
I'd like to extend my deep condolences to those victims.
According to the news, the criminal said he just wanted to commit murder, it didn't matter who he killed.
The news also said he was a good student in junior high school but after becoming a student of a prestigious high school, he couldn't keep up with other students--that was when he started to see himself as a looser.
What does a "good student" mean in this society? It means a student who can get high scores on tests, get in a good college, and work at a big company...at least that's what he and his parents thought...
Maybe he couldn't follow the ideal pass of his own, but he is only 25 years old. He could have had many many other dreams.
Why did he had to kill so many innocent people??? Why did he give up so easily??
I don't know... but only if he had someone close who could've listen to his problem, things might have been different...
About Me
- Kay
- I am from Tochigi about 2 hours north of Tokyo. After high school, I went to the U.S. and graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Now I live in Tokyo and work as an announcer and a stage actor.
5 comments:
Hi Kay
I have just found you blog from the NHK site.
My girlfriend lives in Kojima, not far from Akihabara and I was terrified that she may have been caught up in the attack.
Thankfully she was visiting her parents at the time, so she was safe.
I feel so sorry for the injured and the families of the people that the madman killed. My heart goes out to them.
My home city, Glasgow in Scotland, has a knife problem, so I can understand the fear that Tokyo citizens must be feeling.
It's horrible.
I hope that the lunatic is given an appropriate sentence and that things like this never happen again to such peaceful people.
Iain McClumpha, Scotland, UK
Hi Kay!
Yes, I watched the breaking news special on NHK during the aftermath of the murders. My condolences go the innocent souls and the families that they've left.
It was so surreal. Akiba is such a happy and lively place and a mass murder would be the last thing on my mind when I think of Akiba.
The carnage on the streets were a terrifying sight. Shock reverberated on people across the globe. There is an ever increasing worry on the rising frequency of knife attacks in Japan as the number of casualties from such murders also rise.
I begin to worry about the safety of my friends in Japan especially since they are still high school students, vulnerable to violence such as bullying, beatings, and stabbings.
The attacks are very alarming. In a society that is intolerant to failures and mistakes, the government must address the people on how to think positively and cope up with their problems. Bullying is the most prevalent of domestic violence in Japan, and I pity the young souls that chose to gave up their lives to escape the tormenting. A change in the society's psyche can't be done overnight. But I think that early efforts must be taken to teach people the importance of having a positive self-esteem and how to seek the right help and do the proper solutions to their problems. I find it very perplexing on why such people would easily feel ostracized when they feel they're different from the rest and that they didn't met their expectations.
If we think that they are the only ones that need help, think again. Who doesn't? None. We must act shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand to make one another happy and that we're not alone. Even the simplest acts of kindness would mean a big positive change.
We must always be a blessing to others.
Hey there, it's been quite a while! I hope you're well. I was looking up old school friends online and found your blog. I'm happy to see you're working in an area that you enjoy. Sounds like you've had many adventures! Drop me a line if you have time to catch up. Take care.
Mike G.
First of all, let me express my condolence to the families of the unfortunate victims. I really feel very sorry for them.
The student who drove the truck was probably a perfectionist who was deeply frustrated. If I were him, I would tell my problem to a teacher or to my best friends.
But since he hasn't expressed his frustration to others, I believe that there are two probable reasons why he didn't tell them: It's either he is too shy to tell his friends or teachers or the school guidance counselors about the problem; or the teachers are too strict.
If he had only told them about his problem, then he may have several pieces of advice to guide him. It could've made a very big difference.....
________
Filipinos are celebrating the Independence Day today here in the Philippines and in some parts of North America and Australia. You would see lots of Philippine flags almost everywhere around the country.
Iain
Thank you for visiting! I am also glad that your girlfriend was OK...
I was surprised to know that anybody could buy such a deadly weapon at a shop.
The criminal bought 6 knives at once several days before he committed the incident. Didn't the owner of a shop think anything? We definitely need to regulate those knives as well as guns.
JM
Yes, we must act shoulder to shoulder!!
Mike??
You mean Mike from W&M?? Wow! Yes, it's been a long time!! How are you? I am so glad you found me here. I will write to you soon.
Jayson
The criminal was not a student. He was working as a temporary staff.
But he obviously didn't have any close friends or superiors who would listen to his problems...
By the way, happy Independence Day!! (Sorry for the delay...)
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