A Tokyo man
was arrested yesterday at a restaurant in Shibuya for attempting to order nabe,
a hotpot dish which according to Japanese law may be consumed only between 1st
October and 28th February each year.
The manager
of the restaurant alerted the Season Police after being told of the order, and
the man was immediately taken into custody.
Charges have
already been brought, and State Prosecutor Maiko Hara intends to seek a
custodial sentence. “Actions such as these pose a grave danger to the
foundations of Japanese society,” she explained, “and the threat to public
order cannot be overstated. We must send a clear message to other diners that
such anarchic behavior won’t be tolerated.”
However, the
lawyer acting for the accused man is hoping for lenience from the court. “My
client is overcome with shame and remorse for his heinous disregard of custom,”
said attorney Yuichi Waraba. “He has vowed never again to attempt to decide for
himself what he should be allowed to eat, or when.”
The customer
is being held in solitary confinement after being subject to abuse and threats
from other inmates, and the police are withholding his identity in order to
protect his family from reprisals in the face of public anger. A spokesman
hinted that if the public mood remains sour, it may be necessary to furnish the
man with a new identity.
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