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Recent Assault Arrests in Japan Include Pokémon GO Players

Japan has seen at least two recent cases of assault involving Pokémon GO players. According to Sankei News, Hokkaido police arrested a 56-year-old who assaulted a man in a fight over an in-game gym on August 10. The victim was a 55-year-old man who had met the assailant through the game several years ago.

Almost a week later, a separate case of Pokémon GO-related violence broke out. Hokkaido Television Broadcasting reported that on the night of August 16, a 35-year-old man was arrested in Sapporo. The man kicked a parked car, chased car's owner outside of the vehicle, and hit him in the face twice before being restrained by the police. Both men were playing Pokémon GO. At the scene of his arrest, the suspect said that he had been walking while playing the game. He spotted a car parked sloppily in reverse, and when he looked inside, he saw a man playing Pokémon GO. He said that it annoyed him to see someone playing the game in their car while it was parked in such a sloppy state.

Last year, a 43-year-old man in Toyota, Aichi was arrested after he assaulted another man in a fight near a gym location.

The Pokémon GO app launched in select countries including the United States in July 2016. Despite the scattered cases of violence, the game has brought joy to players around the world. Couples have met while playing and ended up with their own happily ever after.

Sources: Sankei News, Hokkaido Television Broadcasting