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Yamanote Halloween Train 2007: October 27th!

人の命を奪うなどを脅しすることは「脅迫罪」と言い、刑法第２２２条に定められています。たとえ実際に殺人をする意思がなくても、地理的な面から見て不可能でも、違反になるような行為を宣言・脅しするだけでも「抽象的危険犯」として脅迫罪が成立します。
Japan Probeはこのような違反行為を絶対に許しません。脅迫罪に至るような発言に関しては、既に警察と連絡を取り合っています。これからも「脅迫」のような発言が発生した場合も警察に通報します。
ご了承ください。
[Disclaimer: This event is not sponsored or endorsed by JapanProbe.com. If you want to participate, do so your own risk.]

[

尚、ジャパン・プローブがこの企画の主催者及び後援者とは一切関係がない上、この企画に賛同するような発言も述べていない。この企画の存在をそのまま記載したにすぎないので、ご了承ください

]

I have been notified that the infamous Yamanote Halloween Train party will be occurring in Tokyo on the night of October 27th. Here are the details (via wikipedia):

The 2007 event is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, 2007. Festival-goers board the JR Yamanote Line at JR Shinjuku station, platform 13 (Yamanote bound for Ikebukuro). Japanese citizens as well as foreigners meet where car 10 stops, in front of the escalator from South exit. Everyone boards the 21:08 northbound train and loops around clockwise. Frequently everyone brings their own alcoholic beverages.

And a few videos of last year’s train, so you get the idea of what kind of event it is:

To some the Yamanote Halloween Train is a fantastic good time. Others view it as a shamefully rude display of public intoxication and a major annoyance to the Japanese passengers who unexpectedly encounter it. What are your opinions, probers?

The Yamanote Halloween Train:

Update 1:: Looks like this story has been picked up by 2channel and Japanese blogs, and many Japanese netizens are not happy!

注：このブロッグのコメントのなか、在日外国人からの賛同的な発言は極少数であり、一般の人が否定的な意見を表している。よって、「欧米人のモラルの低劣さ」ではなく、一部のみが問題を起こしていることを認識してもらいたい。

Update 2: There may be another Yamanote Halloween Train party tonight, as this conflicting announcement has been found on a German Yahoo group:

Although police might come in later to clear the wagons and make space for
those well-behaving, sober students and businessman normally filling late
night trains, don’t worry: Nobody will arrest you for drinking and singing
on a train – just keep your ticket!

This year’s train leaves from Ikebukuro station at 9.06 pm on Saturday
night, October 27th. Gather from 8.45 pm on platform #7/8 in JR’s Ikebukuro
station (the “outbound” trains in direction to Ueno) and just get on the
train when it arrives. Don’t be late! Come in costumes, bring your friends
and your own drinks – don’t count on those kiosks. And tell everybody else >
the more, the partier!
P.S. Note that this year’s starting location is Ikebukuro, not Shinjuku.

(Japanese)

YAMANOTE 嫌い？ Love Beer ★ ?
今月２７日土曜日にはまた、あなたが電車と仲直
りするチャンスがあります。

それは、世界で有名な山手線ハロウィーンパーティ。主催者は誰もいない。数百人の
(B
人が、同じ場所・時間に集まり、同じ電車に乗っちゃうだけ。

変わってる？え、だからこそこのゲリラパーティは去年にも大ヒットだった。５００
(B
人くらい、外人半分、日本人半分が同じ電車で、独特のコスチュームをまとい、騒ぎ
(B
ながら、ずっとぐるぐる回っていた＞

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hekireki69/sets/1263795/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssGrcaTsbzU
69/sets/1263795/>

私たちは数時間続けると警察に追い出される可能性はある。礼儀正しい学生やビジネ
(B
スマンのために、深夜の電車を開ける必要があるからね。けど、心配ご無用！私たち
(B
は電車で飲んだり歌ったりすることだけで逮捕されることはない。だって切符を持っ
(B
ているのだから。

今年は１０月２７日土曜日に夜８時４５分から、ＪＲ池袋駅の７・８番ホーム（外回
(B
りの上野行き）でみんな集まります。そして２１時０６分の電車にみんないっぺんに
(B
乗ります。

人が多ければ多いほうが楽しいから、みんな誘ってね。ワイルドな仮想できてね。そ
(B
して食べ物、飲み物は各自持参してください。遅れないようにね。

Most forums seem to have the Shinjuku information for the party, so those looking to join in or break up the party would probably be better off going to that one…

Dozens of 2-channelers have already claimed to have notified the police about this and told them to arrest the party participants. Here is the public information for the cops/Shinjuku station which has been posted all over several Japanese blogs:
警視庁　03-3581-4321（代）

新宿警察署　03-3346-0110

渋谷警察署　03-3498-0110（代表）

新宿駅お客様相談室(鉄道警察) 03-3356-7505

148 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - October 25, 2007 at 10:47 pm

Categories: Foreigners in Japan Tags: gaijin, halloween, japan, tokyo, yamanote

Pingback: The Yamanote Halloween Train vs. Japanese Netizen Rage : Japan Probe
Canadian_D

I think the sad part is that all of this may be tarnishing the image of the Japanese more than the image of the foreigners. There are nearly 9000 hours in a year, and a party that only amounts to 1/9000th of the year would just result in people of all ages in Canada laughing and saying, “well as long as no one got hurt, I hope they had a good time.” But if the Japanese don’t like the party, I would be more than happy to respect the difference in culture and not participate.
HOWEVER
The flood of racist and threatening responses from the Japanese objectors has left a deep impression on me – literally dozens of posts calling foreigners terrorists and barbarians from barbaric countries, that we are supporting terrorists who will want to use nerve gas on the line, and a shocking number of threats to burn our flags and use knives and explosives to kill foreigners. Anyone reading these comments knows I am barely scratching the surface here.
I have been to Tokyo and Saitama before and loved it. I am currently applying to universities in Japan and was hoping to make it my home, but the image of the polite Japanese has really been damaged for me now. Yes, racism and dumbasses exist in Canada too, but a single angry racist comment in Canada would result in even those opposed to the party telling the racist person that such an attitude is uncalled for, and to be more constructive next time. I had experienced some mild racism in Saitama, but nothing I couldn’t shrug off.
However, the flood here of not only racist comments, but outright anger and a desire to see foreigners killed, is more sad than appalling. Maybe the Japanese will be happy to know they have achieved a small victory, because I don’t know if I want to live in a country where this is how people feel beneath the surface. While those of us currently outside Japan can read up on the racism and hatred toward foreigners, it’s not until you read a torrent of hatred like this, which has been posted in a remarkably short period of time, that we get to experience what is perhaps the true extent of the situation foreigners face in Japan. Even if this is the worst possible sample of Japanese hatred toward non-Japanese, I would like to thank the Japanese posters for sharing their true feelings with me.

The Overthinker

“Yes, racism and dumbasses exist in Canada too, but a single angry racist comment in Canada would result in even those opposed to the party telling the racist person that such an attitude is uncalled for, and to be more constructive next time.”

These comments came from people on 2ch, not a board known for its high moral standards of behaviour, and are about as representative of the sort of attitudes you will encounter at a Japanese university as being mugged in Central Park is like checking into the Plaza Hotel. These are the worst examples, and left unchecked as those Japanese who don’t mind can’t be bothered to post (though there were a few calmer ones). Don’t let it put you off: there are far more realistic and serious issues to worry about before making Japan your home than to worry about the storm-in-a-sake-cup that is 2ch extremism.

Do they feel like this beneath the surface? Some might, but a small minority, and so long as they keep it beneath the surface you’ll survive.

Canadian_D

Hahaha. I like your mugging vs. Plaza Hotel analogy. I must admit I’m unfamiliar with 2ch, and will check it out first hand after writing this little paragraph. You’re right in that there are many serious issues to consider before making Japan my home, but I think being hated by the whole of the general public (as 2ch-ers seem to wish was truly the case) would rank up there among the top issues. That been said, thanks for enlightening me about the wrath of 2ch.

As a side note, who’s this guy who says, “u should all get deported, including the NOVA teachers”? Silly japanese-filipino, there are no NOVA teachers anymore.
(^_-)
I particularly like how the line, “if u want fun go back to you country,” implies that there is no fun to be had in Japan.

New Tourism Japan slogans:
“Come to Japan…and after, return home for some fun.”
“Japan!…remember to bring a book.”
“For a good time, dial any country code except ’81′ ”
Okay. Admittedly one of those may or may not have come from a bathroom stall, but, as it was fun, it could not have been a bathroom stall in Japan.
So long.

japanese-filipino

this the most terrible thing ive seen, all this foreigners who lives in japan doing this for the sake of fun? if u want fun go back to you country, Japan has a reputation of cleanliness, dont ruin it because of you stupid acts, (most of the people i saw on those videos are western foreigners)

u dont have the right to do this, u should all get deported, including the NOVA teachers
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http://www.transpacificradio.com/ Garrett

Well, now that it’s a coupel days later, I guess you got to bear the brunt of the opposition to jackass-ery, James. Congrats.

I hope the 2ch folks at least had the decency to click on some Google ads while they were spamming you.

What’s so sad about this is that, like pretty much anything involving any foreigner on 2ch, it automatically became about race and xenophobia. Then again, it is probably true that exceedingly few of the participants in the Yamanote Halloween train would engage in such activity were they not able to take advantage of what is normally a pretty passive crowd on Tokyo’s trains.
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Eve

日本語でおｋ
hoge

自由には責任が伴うことを覚えなさい。
それに、こういうのはジョークとは言わない。
ただの馬鹿騒ぎです。

Yamanote Halloween Train 2007: October 27th!

尚、ジャパン・プローブがこの企画の主催者及び後援者とは一切関係がない上、この企画に賛同するような発言も述べていない。この企画の存在をそのまま記載したにすぎないので、ご了承ください

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