HYOGO (TR) – A drunk fisherman was arrested in Kobe for wandering onto a Shinkansen train track on Sunday, police said.
Hyogo Prefectural Police arrested a 53-year-old man from Okayama Prefecture on suspicion of impeding the safe operation of the JR Sanyo Shinkansen Line by stepping onto the train tracks at Shin-Kobe Station in Chuo Ward, the Asahi Shimbun reports (May 23).
Police believe the intoxicated man, who admitted to the charges, was waiting to board a southbound Shinkansen train at around 6 p.m. when he realized he was waiting on the northbound platform.
After the fisherman saw the southbound train arrive, he reportedly hopped onto and walked across the train tracks, passing in front of the front train car.
“I’m from the countryside, you can’t blame me for that,” the suspect was quoted as telling police.
According to JR West Railway, the incident caused a roughly 10-minute delay for both north- and southbound Shinkansen trains.
