Tokyo man suspected of bloodying 80 Shinkansen seat covers

AICHI (TR) – Aichi Prefectural Police on Thursday arrested a 61-year-old man living in Tokyo for allegedly dripping his own blood onto dozens of covers for seats inside a Shinkansen train, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 24).

Over a 10-minute period starting around 8:30 a.m., the suspect, of no known occupation, allegedly dripped blood from both of his gashed wrists onto the white covers for the headrests of about 80 seats inside the Nozomi 90 train between Kyoto and Nagoya stations.

Upon his arrest on suspicion of causing property damage, the suspect, who lives in the capital’s Nerima Ward, denied the allegations. “My arms got caught in a door,” he reportedly told the Nakamura Police Station.

After spotting blood on the covers of seats in cars 1 through 6 of the train, a security guard located the suspect.

Upon the train’s arrival at Nagoya Station, the guard handed him over to police.