Asia Blog: China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam

Tomohiro Kato from Shizuoka, a man the media first incorrectly reported as a Yakuza gang member, drove a mid-sized truck into pedestrians in Akihabara, the main electronics shopping district of Tokyo on Sunday. The New York Times reports that seven people died from the stabbing rampage, while another 11 were injured.

The truck used by Tomohiro Kato

The man who committed the “stabbing rampage” was Tomohiro Kato. He lived by himself in a small apartment, and had grown tired of life. Kato told police that he had grown “tired” of life, “hated the world” and had gone to Akihabara to kill random people. “Anyone was O.K., I came to Akihabara to kill people. It didn’t matter whom I’d kill,” he said. Kato wore a beige suit and black-and-white sneakers, and was armed with a 12″ survival knife.

Tomohiro Kato being captured by police

There is more coverage at Japan Probe, who’ve compiled a good list of links and news stories about this incident. It goes to show that even in countries that ban guns–like England and Japan–crimes, killing sprees, and murders can still be committed. And if knives are banned, only criminals will carry knives…

Update: Mashable reveals that the killer “twittered” his attack plan on a Japanese forum:

“I’m going to Akihabara to kill people. If my car is destroyed I’ll use a knife. Goodbye everyone.”
“I’m tired.”
“It’s time, I’m leaving.”
“I’ve entered Kanagawa [prefecture, en-route to Tokyo], I’m taking a rest.”
“I’ve reached Akihabara. Today it’s a pedestrian area, I think.”
“It’s time.”

The New Travel Weekly magazine has outraged Chinese by publishing so called “sexy disaster photos.” The magazine has been shut down by government officials in Chongqing until the situation is rectified, calling the photos an “extremely evil social influence.” You can find News thread containing the photos; the magazine’s Editor-in-chief, Editor, and Deputy Editor have all been fired. The photos came at the beginning of the first Chinese national period of mourning since Chairman Mao Zedong died in 1976, and after more than 65,000 (to date) have been officially reported dead after a deadly earthquake struck Sichuan.

As pictured above, the photos feature models made up with stylized blood, titled with the Chinese characters for disaster (灾难), and surrounded by rubble. Certainly, the are in poor taste, and offer nothing substantial to the ongoing crisis. One of the magazine employees, surnamed Cai, said to reporters: “If the outcome of the rectification is satisfactory, it is possible to reopen the magazine. After all, only part of the staff made the decision to print that shoot. It wouldn’t be fair to just close it for good.”

The infamous hate group known as the Westboro Baptist Church recently issued a press release titled “Thank God for the Great Killer Earthquake,” in which they thank God for killing Chinese:

Thank God for the Great Killer Earthquake that He sent to kill thousands of stiffhearted Chinese rebels against God. Our prayer is for many more earthquakes to kill many more thousands of impudent and ungrateful Chinese.

This is why American free speech sucks–it has to allow even vile hate speech such as the above. When 20,000 people die in a random act of nature, Americans everywhere should be sending aid, flying to China to help rebuild with their own hands, or raising support in the USA. Instead, we have handfuls of crackpots producing insane press releases in the name of American conservative Christianity. China, with its distaste for organized religion and hateful speech, would never allow an organization like the Westboro Baptist Church to prosper. To any Chinese that might read this, true Americans and Christians extend love and compassion to you.

For more constructive ways to assist China in its time of need, Shanghaiist has made a nice list of charities you can contribute to, such as the Red Cross.

He most likely decided in 2007 to stop dying his hair black and let the gray show through. The last photo is much larger and shows his face more clearly so the comparison to the others should be made with caution.

This is one part cute and one part sad to watch this Japanese newscaster go from black hair to grey. It’s amazing how much older he looks accented by that hair; note his face changes very little.

The Onion probably has the most entertaining and reasonable look at the whole Tibet / China situation going on right now with Olympic Torch Used To Ignite Tibetan Protesters:

BEIJING—A universally recognized symbol of goodwill, the Olympic torch was used to immolate hundreds of Tibetan protesters during its journey across mainland China last week, in what is being called a stirring display of competitive spirit and Chinese nationalism.

Given all of the things in the mix–Tibetans rioting, the Chinese army shooting Tibetans, various protests, the Olympic torch-snuffing, heat from the Dali Lama, the Chinese government photoshopping photos–what needs to happen is for people to step back, calm down, and go about their normal lives. Here, and in Tibet and China. That way we’ll have a lot less political mess, death, and suffering in the eastern parts of the world.