A desire for peace and quiet leads to violence at a Japanese train station. 

Japanese rail companies are known for implementing “manners campaigns”, where they ask passengers to consider the comfort of fellow commuters with reminders to refrain from talking on the phone and speaking too loudly while onboard.

The ads and posters they bring out are usually aimed at keeping noise levels down during daily commutes, but now they might need to place a greater focus on how to positively deal with noise levels too, following a dangerous incident that occurred on the weekend.

On the night of 7 June, a commuter became angry at the noise being emitted from a fellow passenger’s earbuds, and after they alighted at Chigasaki Station in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture at around 9:40 p.m., he pushed him, causing him to fall off the platform and onto the tracks.

The 30-year-old man who was pushed attempted to pull himself back up onto the platform. However, the 40-year-old assailant kicked him in the face numerous times, inflicting injuries like bruising which police say had mostly healed by 10 June.

Police arrested the suspect on 8 June and are now investigating the incident.

Reports say the man who was arrested says he wanted to teach the man a lesson for carelessly disrupting others with the noise from his headphones, and claims the man making the noise picked a fight with him. While he admits to pushing the man with both hands on both his shoulders, he denies deliberately throwing him onto the tracks, saying he didn’t expect him to fall off the platform.

People in Japan were obviously disturbed by the incident, taking to social media with comments like:

“I wonder if this could be considered attempted murder?”
“Is this the state our society has fallen to?”
“I get annoyed when people’s headphones are too loud but I wouldn’t push them off a platform for it.”
“Attempted murder for listening to music on your headphones? Scary.”
“He’s so lucky a train wasn’t approaching.”

While the charges against the suspect are yet to be made public, it’s true that the incident could’ve been a lot worse for both parties, and many more commuters in the area, if a train had been approaching. After all, nobody should have their life endangered for listening to music on their headphones, no matter how high up on the list of inconsiderate behaviours it might be.

Sources: Sanspo, Livedoor News via Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Pakutaso
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