HOKKAIDO (TR) – Police here have arrested a 39-year-old self-proclaimed graduate student from Tokyo after he allegedly smashed a glass window at a train station because he was frustrated with a slow ticketing app, reports TV Asahi (July 24).
The incident took place at around 11:00 a.m. on the 23rd at JR Biei Station, a popular destination currently bustling with tourists. According to police, the suspect approached the station’s ticket counter and punched a glass pane, shattering it.
Station staff immediately dialed 110, telling emergency dispatchers, “A customer punched and broke a pane of glass.” Officers arrived and arrested the man on the spot on suspicion of property damage.
Upon his arrest, the suspect partially denied the allegations, claiming the destruction wasn’t intentional. “There is no doubt I broke the glass, but I didn’t mean to break it,” he told investigators.
When questioned about what led to the outburst, the man blamed a poor internet connection. “I was frustrated because it was hard to connect to Eki-net,” he said, referring to Japan Railways’ online ticket reservation system.
Police believe the man was traveling alone at the time of the incident.
