Well, that was one way to get attention – though probably not the best way. Tokyo police say they’ve apprehended two men – or, more precisely, a man and a boy – who motorbiked through Shibuya Scramble while setting off a fire extinguisher.
The incident occurred on Christmas Eve around 4am. Two males, each on their own bike, took repeated loops through the famous tourist spot despite the presence of pedestrians.
Two police officers near Shibuya Station strolled up and yelled at the men to stop, but they kept going. Then, on two separate loops, one of the men sprayed some sort of white smoke behind him – all through a green traffic light. The smoke, which appears to come from a fire extinguisher, obscured driver’s field of vision as they tried to pass.
The men later repeated the same stunt in Kawasaki, about an hour outside of Tokyo.
On December 30th, Tokyo police announced they’d apprehended the suspects: 29-year-old unemployed Kawasaki resident Watanabe Taichi and an unnamed 15-year-old minor.
"Noah [at Unseen Japan] put together an itinerary that didn’t lock us in and we could travel at our own pace. In Tokyo, he guided us personally on a walking tour. Overall, he made our Japan trip an experience not to forget." - Kate and Simon S., Australia
Watanabe confessed to being the perp. It’s not clear who the 15-year-old is or his relationship to his older companion.
Watanabe will likely face some form of public disturbance charge. As it stands, both men are under arrest for operating motorbikes without a license.
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