Innocent, delicious Crab Tower damaged in senseless attack.

Even for Japan, Osaka is particularly passionate about food, and that even extends to a love for restaurant signs. Particularly in the city’s Dotonbori entertainment district, eateries’ dynamic, personality-filled banners, signboards, and statuary are local landmarks and a symbol of Osaka’s unassuming, fun-loving attitude.

So two guys just made themselves a whole lot of enemies by beating up a giant crab statue that wasn’t doing anything to them but offering delicious seafood.

The incident took place at around 5 a.m. on Monday morning. Security camera footage shows a pair of idiots egging each other on to kick and shake the “Crab Tower,” as the Dotombori branch of crab restaurant Kani Gen calls its statue of crab legs. Eventually, one of them pulls the Crab Tower enough that it topples over, causing severe damage to it as several pieces to break off.

Unfortunately, the 100-kilogram (220-pound) Crab Tower did not trap the two vandals underneath it as it fell, and they both ran off like the immature cowards they are.

▼ The victim, prior to the attack

Gen Takeda, owner of the chain, was extremely upset, and not just because of the damage to the Crab Tower, which cost 1.65 million yen (US$15,940) to originally make and has been a symbol of the restaurant for the past five years. “All of the staff is working so hard to make it through the pandemic. I don’t want people [like the vandals] making that any harder than it already is,” adding “This is heart-braking. I’m crazy angry [mecha mukatsuku, to directly quote the restauranteur’s Kansai dialect].”

Online commenters share the feeling:

“Those two better pay for the damage they caused.”
“With all the security cameras around, it’s only a matter of time until they get caught. They’re idiots.”
“They didn’t just ruin the crab sign, they ruined their lives too.”
“I think they should toss them in prison for five years for this.”
“You can almost hear the Kanidoraku sign saying, ‘For this, they must die.’”
“Time to give those two a taste of crab justice!”

Takeda thinks the vandals may have chosen the timing of their attack to coincide with a renewed call for restaurants in Osaka to close early, as the city’s number of daily coronavirus infections has risen to record highs in the past few days. Fewer people on the street mean fewer eye-witnesses, though hopefully the less-congested conditions will also make it easier to determine their identities through security camera footage.

Source: Livedoor News/Nitele News 24 via Otakomu, Nikkan Sports, YouTube/ANNnewsCH
Top image: Pakutaso
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