Tokyo Rampage Killer Said to be Into Otaku Culture
Tokyo Rampage Killer Said to be Into Otaku Culture
June 9, 2008
While there is no indication that video games played any role in Sunday's murderous rampage in Tokyo's high-tech Akihabara district, UK newspaper The Times reports that Tomohiro Kato, the 25-year-old killer (incongruously flashing the peace sign in photo at left), was into Japan's otaku scene:
Mr Kato appears to have led the average life of a young Japanese man from a small, provincial town... Perhaps most strikingly, he appears to have shared with tens of thousands of young Japanese men a passion for Akihabara and its maze of shops and boutiques that helped create Japan’s otaku stereotype.
Originally, the word otaku referred to a sub-class of youth culture which focused on the minutiae of various hobbies – everything from manga comics and video games to model robots and animated pornography. More recently, however, the otaku phenomenon has gone mainstream...
Meanwhile the Guardian reports:
In his middle school graduation yearbook, he describes his personality as "crooked" and his favourite word as "destiny". The entry, written entirely in English, is accompanied by a sketch of a character from the role-playing videogame Tales of Destiny.
Like many of the people who witnessed his attack, he was obsessed with manga comics and video games.
Tales of Destiny, the only game thus far associated with Kato, is a T-rated RPG, hardly the stuff of which sensationalist appearances on Fox News are made. Moreover, the killer's final series of text messages don't contain any video game references.
GP: Also, let's not forget that this clearly demented person, is 25 - not an impressionable adolescent. Then again, as I've written before, the "blame the games" mentality typically kicks in on any high-profile rampage committed by a person under 30.
UPDATE: The Sydney Morning Herald quotes Japanese criminal psychiatrist Akira Sakuta:
One of the biggest problems in Japan is young people like Kato don't know how to communicate with each other or express their feelings. Stress and lack of parental affection cause them to retreat and, sometimes, to explode. This case seems to me to have been an example of 'indirect suicide' – by killing so many other people I imagine Kato is looking for the death penalty himself.
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Posted 11/08/09 at 09:02am
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yez7jyo
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yez7jyo
Posted 11/08/09 at 09:01am
DarkSaber: Oh for gods sake, the Gearbox pres is gobbing off about Valve again
DarkSaber: Oh for gods sake, the Gearbox pres is gobbing off about Valve again
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:53am
JDKJ: But cheer up, Austin. If the unemployment rate continues to double-digit as predicted for the next few years, your half-dozen stands a better than likely chance of returning to power.
JDKJ: But cheer up, Austin. If the unemployment rate continues to double-digit as predicted for the next few years, your half-dozen stands a better than likely chance of returning to power.
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:46am
JDKJ: @DS: If he had added the line about "or hiring illegals aliens under the table to work as nannies," it would have been a completely perfect descripition. And, yes, it's about the same difference between a six and a half-dozen.
JDKJ: @DS: If he had added the line about "or hiring illegals aliens under the table to work as nannies," it would have been a completely perfect descripition. And, yes, it's about the same difference between a six and a half-dozen.
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:31am
DarkSaber: My god, that description makes them sound almost Republican. Still what did you expect, Obama is only marginally more left than republicans.
DarkSaber: My god, that description makes them sound almost Republican. Still what did you expect, Obama is only marginally more left than republicans.
Posted 11/08/09 at 01:07am
Austin_Lewis: Health insurance, brought to you by the same kind of bureacrats who couldn't, in timely fashion, investigate the comments of any of the men Obama appointed Czars. Or their past. Or their history of not paying taxes.
Austin_Lewis: Health insurance, brought to you by the same kind of bureacrats who couldn't, in timely fashion, investigate the comments of any of the men Obama appointed Czars. Or their past. Or their history of not paying taxes.
Posted 11/08/09 at 01:06am
Austin_Lewis: Yes, and what a piece of crap it was. Arresting and fining people just because they don't make a personal choice to buy healh insurance, creating over a hundred new bureacracies, and worse.
Austin_Lewis: Yes, and what a piece of crap it was. Arresting and fining people just because they don't make a personal choice to buy healh insurance, creating over a hundred new bureacracies, and worse.
Posted 11/08/09 at 12:24am
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:the only trouble is a bunch of witless hacks wrote it....its going to be a train wreck....
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:the only trouble is a bunch of witless hacks wrote it....its going to be a train wreck....
Posted 11/07/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: In a photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in a fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
JDKJ: BREAKING: In a photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in a fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
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Comments
At least they admit that the origin of the word Otaku started out over there to mean "crazy house dwelling no shower having, greasy faced nerd who sits in his basement counting the cracks in Fett's armor."
Ok, maybe not all of that but close enough. I hate the word Otaku used as a positive.
Good thing I only meet the crazy requirement. xD
Yeah I never understood how the word otaku became a good thing over in America....
Same way "geek" stopped being an insult. It started getting "fuzzy" as a definition, so it began to be applied to people who didn't really fit all the original definition. Blame the people who started calling anyone who liked anime an "otaku".
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
There are words more important that should lose their offensiveness. The n-word for instance...
Ok, call me crazy, but that seems 100% the opposite from what CBC reported this morning, which was that the police interrogating him found ZERO connection between him and Akihabara district, other than "he'd been there once before, and knew it would have a good crowd of people to plow into with the truck"...
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story
EDIT: Never mind, apparently the japanese media has described him as a "manga fan", who submitted a sketch of an action hero for his grad yearbook "describe your personality" segment...
Although the AP is jumping on the video game concept, because they managed to wrangle a quote from a 14-year old...
I'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing. The fact that he planned this in advance, took the train, and then rented the truck the day of... He wanted to end it all, and short of suicide, the next best thing is to guarantee yourself the death-penalty...
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
Wow, I'd say I'm surprised but then I'd have to follow it up with another lie. At least the Sydney paper took some effort to talk to someone who knows better.
@Eville1NSI : it wouldn't be the first time a derogitory name was adopted and turned into a positive. ex. yankee. it's part of the nature of language to mutate.
until more information is found/released, i'm gonna with hold judgement as to why he did what he did.
True, doesn't stop me from irrationally hating it though. I suppose my bias is showing because I generally don't like people that into any subculture anything.
Ummm aren't we a sub-culture?
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
What you meant to say is, you don't like people that gloat about being in a subculture in a holier-than-thou fashion. I know this is what you actually are thinking.
Like emo "look at me, I'm in pain but ever so deep" twats for example?
it wouldn't be the first time a derogitory name was adopted and turned into a positive. ex. yankee. it's part of the nature of language to mutate.
Now only if it'd happen more often.
It's always sad to hear and see these kinds of actions in our world. What's worse about it is how within the comming week(s) all the newschannels will be filled this trerrible action, and how they will have their so called "experts" fill the airwaves with half-hearted sympathy and full-hearted blame. Until a clear motive is found, i will not point a finger anywhere near this man or his lifestyle/livelihood.
Rev_Melon
He’s not using the peace sign he’s using the V sign for Victory. Completely different.
You sure? Trigun's main character used that sign, and he was chanting "Love and Peace!" at the time (and this was in the subtitled version, he was shouting it in English, so it was more like "Ruv and Peash!"...
In all the anime I've watched, it's been used for either, alternating depending on why it's being flashed. In most cases, you are correct, it's flashed as a "victory" sign (usually accompanied with a mangled Japanese pronounciation of "Victory!"), but not always.
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
I was literally scrolling down to see if somebody else had already said it. It isn't the peace sign. It's the victory sign. And no I'm not an anime nerd (never had that phase. I was into Godzilla). My sister majored in japanese at Bennington college. Same sign, different meaning. If it is accompanied by english dialogue stating it is the peace sign you may be right. Supposedly the Japanese have some crazy infatuation for all things American. But in Japan it's usually the victory sign by default as I understand.
Its not a "peace sign"
In most asian cultures its what you do when you take a picture.
If you've ever met a Japanese person, this would be common knowledge. Most of them have no clue why they do it, and it has no real meaning - Other then its what you do when you take a picture.
Blame figure skater Janet Lynn. She became a pop icon in Japan in the 70's, and was a peace activist. She flashed the sign a lot when being photographed. So it became the "in" thing to do when being photographed, much in the same way the goofy grin and double thumbs-up became popular in America.
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
The whole thing is similar to saying "Cheese!" in America. When taking a picture, the cameraman asks "What is 1+1?" Those in the photo hold up 2 fingers and say "二" ("ni" - two)
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
That just explains the way you propagate the action of holding up two fingers. Not the origin behind it. Although it is a clever way to get people to smile and strike the pose... also handy that "two" is pronounced in such a way that it bares the teeth (forcing a smile), much in the same way "cheese" does.
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
Origin-wise, I heard that an American soldier posed with a peace sign for a picture around WWII times and the concept simply stuck. As Wikipedia would say after this, "[citation needed]"
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
In WWII, "V for Victory" was used by, amongst others, European leaders (DeGaulle, Churchill). So you flashed the "V" sign when you won a battle. It became the symbol of victory over the Axis.
Later though, as an act of counter-culture in the '60s, it was co-opted by the peace movement.
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
It's a shame when anything like this happens. From the stories posted about it so far he seem to have been suffering from depression or some other mental illness. But as said before, let's wait to see how this story unfolds before passing judgement.
Oh geez. Sadly, I know plenty of self-righteous knuckleheads who will _love_ this news; they resent the spread of Japanese pop culture and will view this as some sort of sign of "divine punishment" on the "godless Japanese" that are "poisoning the minds of our youth." Etc etc etc.
Hypocritical moralistic vultures that feed off tragedy.
"and lack of parental affection cause them to retreat and, sometimes, to explode."
Even the Japanese get it...
I dunno about that, don't they have one of the highest teen suicide rates int he world, if not the highest?
Yes, it is fairly high b/c of the emphasis on success for getting into good schools and such. Problem with this thinking however, is that he is an adult, and not a teen in high school.
As mentioned how names mutate, tons of words change meaning like that, the most recent was pixelante, coined by you know who. Then it was mutated into something to be proud of, but the use died about a year or two ago...
On topic: this man was obviously not well from his behavior. There's no telling if there was any catalyst to setting him off, he could have simply decided he'll carry out his plan and may have hoped to gain immortality through being remembered for the rampage.
I don't like that term "indirect suicide" though. I call it suicide when someone kills their own self, not when they get killed through the action of others because of their previous action(s). I think this guy may have just wanted to hurt people and probably didn't care what happened to him afterwards.
I don't like that term "indirect suicide" though. I call it suicide when someone kills their own self, not when they get killed through the action of others because of their previous action(s).
You mean you've never heard the phrase "suicide by cop"? The concept does exist
To be more precise, the criminal psychiatrists get it.
Am I the only one here who can detect some anti-nerd prejudice in the reporting that he is? Like as if somebody wants to find them as terrible people and for something to reinforce their own negative views about it?
That does appear to be the theme rather than just saying he was messed in the head and society didn't address those signs.
-Loudspeaker
"Volume helps to get a point across but sharp teeth are better."
Thank you! Somebody can see it!
This was apparently building up. He had a temper tantrum at work the day before, over a missing uniform. Complete flip-out, and strormed home.
The AP story does the best at being un-biased (amongst the mass media) as I've seen so far. They note that he was an anime fan, but then point out that so do most Japanese. They mention that he seemed to have picked the location (and timing) because of it's high-volume of pedestrians, and it being normally vehicle-free (so no other cars to hit, just people), rather than due to it's connection to manga/anime or games.
They talk about the increase in individuality in Japan, and how this can make it hard for someone who doesn't know how to deal with that.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i9oAEFG0GtBtRDDKEyJ_0JJtsG7AD916N3NO0
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
> They talk about the increase in individuality in Japan, and how this can make it hard for someone who doesn't know how to deal with that.
I recon it's almost the other way round. People who do feel the urge to be individual are met with a culture that frowns upon it. Japan is still very much a "shut up and suffer, just like everyone else!" culture, which is stressful enough in itself, but add to that a need to be an individual and, well, that's when people explode, I guess. I'm afraid we'll see more of these kinds of crimes in the near future. It'll get worse before it gets better.
ARGH! My comment was eaten by the anti-spam monster for posting a link to a Washington Times story about Japan and people killing themselves by using detergent fumes. Hope my post can be "saved". >_>
It's the same the world over. Any youth subculture will be distrusted by the establishment and blamed by the traditional media for various ills and tragedies such as this. In the U.S. it's video game enthusiasts. In Japan it's otaku nerds. The Japanese newspapers that I can find don't seem to be pushing the otaku angle that hard, mostly focusing on his upbringing instead, but I don't know what the trashier TV shows are talking about. I wonder if there'll be the same type of moral panic against otaku in Japan the way there was against nerds and Quake players in the U.S. after the Columbine tragedy.
<i>"I wonder if there'll be the same type of moral panic against otaku in Japan the way there was against nerds and Quake players in the U.S. after the Columbine tragedy."</i>
Already happened in the late 80's. Frederik L. Schodt in his book, Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga, talks about Tsutomu Miyazaki. There's even a Association to Protect Children from Comic Books in Japan as well.
Their is something wrong with society when we fear individuals who are different from the pack. It seems that we never learn that is is the nerd, the otaku, the weird one, the one who goes against the flow is the one who advances society. over 300 years ago, slavery was popular around the world with the majority but it was the minority that saw slaves as human beings that ended up changing things. Same with woman's rights, and rights of everyone that was not white; their were people that that went up against the majority to fight for the rights of others. Scientist that thought differently advanced the health, wealth and life of others. If these people never advanced soiety, we would still be in the dark ages were we feared knowledge and uniqueness.
It is because we continue to prosecute and try to silence these people which causes them to suffer. Some may or may not have much morality and end up taking there lives or the lives of them selves and of others as a tragic cry to be respected. Without being raised in a good home that fosters uniqueness and humanity, events like this will continue to happen. We as the people need to make a change for the better.
It is society and its pressures. The demands of what is wanted, what is thought to be wanted and what is needed. Do you know how hurtful "otaku" sounds ? Do you know how painful it must feel to be branded that ?
You are categorized as a loser. No girls like you, and forget about making friends - you are stuck with it. How do you change your personality ? So what if you like to read magna, maybe it is interesting. So what if you like video-games or beat off to cartoon pornography ?
So because of what you like - it makes you what you are - a label and unwanted thing. Judgement and fear, the social stigma of the otaku and the negativity surronding it creates the feeling of worthelessness. Nobody wants to hear you cry or complain about it - so they bottle it up.
And what better way to be "worthful" in the eyes of society then taking lives as well as ending yours.
Of course this is in the news.. if it bleeds it leads, I am sure the killer knew this.
I am sure the killer just wanted someone out there to listen and help him out - but he was too afraid to, to afraid to get rejected and be mistreated indirectly - he lost hope, so this happened.
He was already dead.
I was with you until you got to:
"or beat off to cartoon pornography ?"
But, seriously, yeah. I think that's a pretty thoughtful & correct assessment.
This news article is fucked up but After reading the comments about Japanese's lack of individualism in their culture, the otaku stereotype and the Psychological profile in the story, I kinda feel sorry for this man, being someone with a similar lifestyle till recently.
However, this still doesn't excuse what he did.