feitclub

This story has been floating around for the last week. It hasn’t gotten much English press, but it’s been on Japanese TV a fair amount. A Nepalese man, Bishnu Dhamala, was beaten to death - on camera - right here in Osaka. The four attackers (two men and two women, all 21-22) have all been arrested. So far, they do not deny beating Dhamala but they do deny trying to kill him. What did they expect a bicycle to the head of a man on the ground would do, wake him up?

It’s a scary crime, no doubt. So far no motive for the attack has been made public, and the killers did not claim to know Dhamala prior to the incident. I hope the headlines keep coming. In the meantime, I still take comfort in knowing that Japan is a very safe place to live, but I am increasingly aware that certain neighborhoods in Osaka* are among the most dangerous parts of the country. I should make an effort to spend less time alone in the city as I was on Saturday night. Next time I’ll just take a nap in McDonald’s. It’s what the Japanese do.

*Note to family/friends back home: I do not live anywhere near these notorious neighborhoods