Student Shoots Passengers at Hirai Station with BB Gun

From Kyodo:

Kengo Naganuma, 24, lives just 40 meters away from a platform of JR Hirai Station in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward and is suspected of having targeted people there from his balcony. The police confiscated eight airsoft guns from his home.

"I wanted to shoot people and see their reactions," Naganuma was quoted as telling the police. He also told them he had done it on other occasions.

A simple lesson of cause and effect for our young friend.

Photo Essay: Yamanote Line

Richard A. Brooks from The Guardian:

A reportage of stations along the circular JR Yamanote line in Tokyo, capturing the hustle and bustle at the heart of the world’s biggest urban area. In service since 1885, the line is the city’s oldest, most important and most famous, with millions cramming on to the 35km (22-mile) route’s distinctive green cars every day

Some nice photography inside of the transport infrastructure that keeps Tokyo alive.

JR West Creates Maintenance Gundam to Paint and Trim Trees

From The Guardian:

Starting this month, the large machine with enormous arms, a crude, disproportionately small Wall-E-like head and coke-bottle eyes mounted on a truck – which can drive on rails – will be put to use for maintenance work on the company’s network.

Sometimes living in Japan feels like living back in the 1980s. In this case, and basically any time robotics in involved, this is the FUTURE I was promised. Keep being weird, JR.