Saru found this great article in the Yomiuri Shinbun online. Since they only keep articles online for a short time and this is the entire thing, I won’t bother searching for the link. Important bits in bold.

7 teenagers held after homeless man beaten

Seven high school students have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a homeless man near the Arakawa river in Tokyo in July, reportedly motivated by curiosity about interest rates, following talk earlier this week that the Bank of Japan may end its quantitative easing policy early next year, police said Tuesday.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department and Nishi-Arai Police Station, the youths, aged 15 and 16 and from four metropolitan high schools, said they assaulted homeless people on about four occasions. Police also are investigating those cases.

According to the police, the students are suspected of dragging the 43-year-old homeless man out of his plastic tarpaulin lodgings under a bridge in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, and beating him. They also allegedly set off fireworks aimed at the homeless man, bruising him.

The youths reportedly told the police they targeted the homeless man because they presumed he would not report the assault, and because he, “looked like that old dude with glasses who, like, sets interest rates in the U.S. and stuff.”

“His face looked funny when he became angry, not like that new Bernanke guy, and it was a way for us to let off some steam,” one youth allegedly told investigators.
(Oct. 27, 2005)

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