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SoraNews24
5 days ago
- SoraNews24
Tokyo man arrested for setting go-karts on fire, follows discovery of threatening English note
Says stress from engine noise drove him to do it. At approximately 4:30 in the morning on June 21, Tokyo operators for Japan's 119 emergency dispatch number received a call from a security guard in the city's Koto Ward, informing them that a fire had broken out on the premises of a nearby business. Firefighters rushed to the scene and spent the next three hours putting out the blaze, which had been set in the parking area of a go-kart tour company, causing damage to three of the vehicles and the office's exterior walls. Thankfully, no one was injured, but investigators determined that the fire had been set intentionally. The search for the arsonist didn't take them very far, geographically speaking, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have now announced that they have arrested a man who works in an office directly adjacent to the kart tour company's lot. 28-year-old Yuga Matsuoka (whose unusual given name means 'elegant,' ironically) has admitted to the charges, saying to investigators in his statement that 'The sound of [the kart's] engines was loud and stressful. I set the fire with a lighter.' ▼ The Koto Ward facility of Street Kart Tokyo, where the incident took place Adding an unusual wrinkle to the case is that in early May a note, written in English, was left on Street Kart Tokyo's property, saying 'As of tomorrow, stop running [the karts'] engines, If you do not abide by this, I will set them on fire.' The police are currently investigating whether or not Matsuoka was the author of the note. ▼ Video of Matsuoka being taken into custody Arson is, of course, a serious crime, and a number of commenters on the above video were quick to denounce Matsuoka's way of dealing with the situation. 'If you have a problem like this, you're supposed to settle it through talking.' 'I get that he was pissed about the noise, but I can't understand setting stuff on fire because of that.' 'Aren't you supposed to file a noise complaint with the police before you go starting fires?' However, several other commenters could strongly sympathize, even if they didn't necessarily agree with Matsuoka's actions. 'I get where he's coming from. Noise-based stress is really rough.' 'It sounds like he had a serious grudge. I bet he had to put up with the noise all day long.' 'I think we need stricter noise ordinances.' 'I want these companies to start putting mufflers on their karts,' 'I honestly think it's strange that karts can be registered for use on public roads.' 'They're a major nuisance. We should get them off the streets.' 'If you wanna go zooming around in a kart, do it in Mario Kart.' 'Japan's public roads aren't a tourist playground.' The last two comments point to a wide divide on how kart tours have become perceived in Japan. The vast majority of participants are foreign tourists, often dressed in video game or anime-inspired costumes, and while they all look to be enjoying themselves, that sense of fun often seems to override their ability to focus on driving safely, with collisions and nuisances such as kart drivers get out of their vehicles at traffic lights to snap selfies. With Tokyo residents and domestic Japanese travelers making up only a small percentage of kart tour participants, there's a growing attitude among locals that they're noisy, dangerous entertainment for ill-mannered overseas tourists. Also worth taking into account is that visiting overseas' vacationers schedules don't necessarily align with locals' leisure time, so invasively noisy go-karts can be running during what are otherwise necessary working hours for the local populace. But again, arson is no laughing matter, and Matsuoka now faces some serious penalties for his poor choice of how to deal with the problem. However, odds are he's not the only one in the area with a bone to pick with the kart tours, and hopefully the others will choose less enflamed methods of voicing their displeasure and appealing for change. Source: TV Asahi via Yahoo! Japan News via Itai News, NHK News Web, Tokyo Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, YouTube/ANNnewsCH Top image: SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Tokyo Weekender
5 days ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Japanese Man Arrested After Attempting To Burn Down Tokyo Go-Kart Business
A 28-year-old Japanese man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of attempted arson after he tried to set fire to the property of a go-karting company, causing damage to three vehicles. The suspect, Yuga Matsuoka, admitted to the crime, saying that the noise of the engines 'stressed' him out. He allegedly set fire to a container used for industrial waste on the premises. The flames then spread to three parked go-karts. The incident occurred in the early hours of June 21. Matsuoka had reportedly just finished his shift, working in the warehouse next door. Fortunately, nobody was inside the building at the time. A security guard patrolling the area called the emergency services after he noticed the fire. It was quickly extinguished. As well as the damage to the go-karts, nearby walls were also burned. List of Contents: Note Sent to Go-Karting Company a Month Before Arson Attack A Hit with Tourists, a Menace to Locals Related Posts Note Sent to Go-Karting Company a Month Before Arson Attack According to NHK , the company, which owns around 70 go-karts, received a letter in English in May from someone threatening to 'set karts aflame if engines are turned on after tomorrow.' The note was placed on top of one of the parked vehicles. Police are now investigating whether the letter is linked to the arson attack. Street karting tours first appeared in Tokyo around 2011 and quickly became popular with tourists looking for a unique way to see the city. The first company, MariCar, was officially founded in 2015. Two years later, Nintendo filed a lawsuit for intellectual property infringement against MariCar, which lent character costumes such as Mario, Peach and Luigi to its customers. It was forced to pay ¥50 million in damages. A Hit With Tourists, a Menace to Locals The firm ceased using Nintendo-themed costumes and rebranded as Street Kart. Today, there are several go-karting companies offering tours in Tokyo. Though a big hit with tourists, they are generally unpopular with locals in the city due to several significant concerns. These include safety issues, disruption to traffic and noise disturbances. Between January and August last year, there were seven personal injury accidents and 18 property damage accidents involving go-karts. Last October, a company was charged by the police for renting out karts to unlicensed foreign tourists and letting them drive on public roads. Related Posts Police File Charges Against Go-Kart Company for Renting to Unlicensed Tourists Nintendo Wins Court Case Knocking MariCar Go-Kart Company Off the Proverbial Rainbow Bridge Japan To Ban Foreign Tourists From Converting Foreign Driver's Licenses
Japan Times
7 days ago
- Japan Times
Tokyo police arrest man for attempted arson at tourist go-kart company
Tokyo police arrested a 28-year-old man Wednesday on suspicion of attempted arson after he allegedly tried to set fire to a tourist go-kart company's property in the capital's Koto Ward. The suspect, Yuga Matsuoka, an employee at a leasing company and a resident of Nerima Ward, has confessed to the crime, telling police that the noise produced by the karts' engines had angered him. 'The sound from the karts' engines was so noisy, it was stressful,' he was quoted as saying. The incident occurred at around 4:40 a.m. on June 21. Matsuoka, who works in a warehouse next to the go-kart company, reportedly entered the premises after finishing his shift at work. He is believed to have tried to set fire to a container used for industrial waste, which led to the damage of three nearby go-karts and the exterior of a warehouse belonging to his employer. No one was present at the go-kart company at the time. A security guard who was patrolling the area noticed the fire and alerted emergency services. Authorities are also investigating a prior incident in May, when a note written in English, threatening to burn the go-karts if the engines were started, was found placed on top of the parked karts. The company, which owns around 70 go-karts, rents them out to tourists. These types of karts, which resemble those in the video game series Mario Kart, have become a popular attraction for foreign tourists, with many considering them a key part of their travel experience. However, there have been rising concerns over traffic violations and noise complaints. In 2023, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police received over 100 complaints regarding the go-kart activities. Translated by The Japan Times
