TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four teenage boys on suspicion of assaulting and robbing a junior high school student after luring him to a park under the guise of photographing trains, reports Nippon News Network (June 30).
The four suspects, consisting of junior high and high school students, and the victim are all avid train photographers, a dedicated subculture known in Japan as tori-tetsu (an obsessive train photography enthusiast)
According to police, the boys were part of an anonymous social media community dedicated to their hobby. However, a bitter dispute began brewing in July of last year after the victim and one of the suspects clashed over the posting of personal information online.
Seeking retaliation, one of the suspects contacted the third-year middle school student in April of this year, inviting him out by saying, “Let’s go photograph trains together.”
The boy was lured to a park in Kodaira City, a location well-known among enthusiasts as an excellent vantage point for shooting passing trains.
Upon his arrival, the four suspects surrounded the victim. Shouting “Give us 500,000 yen!” and “Hand over your camera!”, the group brutally punched and kicked the boy. They then robbed him of 5,000 yen in cash and a camera valued at approximately 150,000 yen.
During police questioning, three of the teens admitted to the allegations, while the remaining suspect has denied the charges.
