CHIBA (TR) – Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested a truck driver who allegedly brandished a wooden sword during a road rage incident, claiming a bad day at a pachinko parlor caused him to lose his temper, reports Nippon News Network (July 31).
Hiroshi Narita is accused of obstructing traffic and intimidating a motorist by thrusting a wooden weapon out of his vehicle’s window and making aggressive driving maneuvers.
According to police, dashcam footage from the victim’s vehicle captured a white car swerving wildly across lanes in Chiba City. Narita allegedly stopped his vehicle multiple times, forcefully waving a long, wooden stick — believed to be a bokuto (wooden sword) — from the driver’s side door.
At one point, after turning right at an intersection, Narita slammed on his brakes to block the victim’s path and pointed the weapon in a threatening manner.
The suspect fled the scene, but the victim immediately contacted the authorities. Investigators were able to identify Narita through the dashcam footage.
Upon his arrest, Narita admitted to the allegations.
“I felt like the car behind me was tailgating,” Narita told investigators. “I was losing at pachinko that day, so I got irritated instantly and the blood rushed to my head.”
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, including why the suspect was carrying a wooden sword in his vehicle.
