In the early hours of August 22 in Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture, police issued a warning about a “suspicious-approach-like act” after a man believed to be in his 60s or 70s waved at a woman who was walking home.
On 5ch, the report drew a wave of comments questioning why this was even reported to police or treated as an incident, with many users chiming in to share their own embarrassing stories of mistakenly waving at strangers.
(Gunma) Suspicious-approach-like act reported in Kitakoizumi, Oizumi Town — August 22 | NEWSjp Japan Suspicious Person Information Center
Published 2026/08/22 11:06:00
According to Gunma Prefectural Police, around 4:30 AM on August 22, a suspicious-approach-like act targeting a woman occurred on a street in Kitakoizumi, Oizumi Town. (Description of the man: 60s–70s, white hair, roughly 160cm tall, navy blue T-shirt)
Source: news.jp / Original article here
3Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:47:06.14ID:Hj7Sd+5I0
Maybe his armpit was just itchy?
6Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:48:38.61ID:zzBtwjDr0
And then… he simply vanished into thin air…
7Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:48:46.72ID:Y/12KzaS0
>>1
If a guy got the same treatment from some old hag, the cops better respond to that too!
195Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 23:18:23.02ID:yxiY1E6f0
>>7
Like hell they would, genius.
8Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:50:02.03ID:Ojjf+FAZ0
This just reminded me of the time I thought I recognized someone, tapped them on the shoulder and started chatting away, only to realize it was a total stranger. Insanely embarrassing.
121Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:31:11.04ID:0efeKQCz0
>>8
Reminds me of when I spotted who I thought was my otaku buddy at the bookstore, launched into full nerd-talk mode, then looked at his face and had absolutely no idea who he was.
183Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 22:39:57.17ID:QeuKk+Mv0
>>8
Don't sweat it. I've been mistaken for someone else and randomly greeted by strangers a few times myself.
10Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:50:21.64ID:tJgCHT+o0
He was just waving bye to an acquaintance standing behind the idiot woman who reported him.
11Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:50:30.85ID:626qunkc0
Old guys wake up early, so it was probably just a normal morning greeting…
14Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:51:14.73ID:tJgCHT+o0
Getting home at 4:30 in the morning — wasn't she the one who'd been drinking?
16Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:51:25.62ID:JG5BEhV40
No way… don't tell me it was a Tochigi resident who waved! (a running gag that Tochigi Prefecture folks go completely unnoticed)
22Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:52:11.99ID:cpfqf82p0
This is absolutely malicious! Catch him already, quick!!
25Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:52:52.63ID:uxNGB/lV0
Wasn't it just mistaken identity? And that's enough to make it an 'incident' now…
27Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:53:36.62ID:AwAP+ulp0
Waving at someone, or shoving someone in a river — stuff that wouldn't even have made the news back in the Showa era. Maybe it's time to stop blowing this stuff up into 'incidents.'
32Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:55:04.04ID:JV18E8et0
>>27
These days just making eye contact counts as an incident. Wave your hand and you're finished.
28Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:53:38.56ID:H3vu3d4j0
Only the mayor of Takasaki would know that one.
193Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 23:13:56.65ID:96Ynbz7d0
>>28
Isn't it Maebashi, not Takasaki? (Maebashi is actually Gunma's prefectural capital)
38Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:56:24.05ID:LDeqC3Do0
I've had this happen before — someone waved at me on my way home from school, so I waved back, but they were actually waving at the person behind me. Went over to say hi and realized they were in a different grade and I didn't even know them. So embarrassing.
49Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:01:45.40ID:Fer0ilfb0
>>38
Yeah, that kind of thing makes you want to disappear.
39Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:56:28.42ID:EIWkEPNt0
Old man: "Guess it's time for my daily radio calisthenics."
Radio host: "Now swing your arms out wiiide…"
Woman: "Wait, is he waving at me? I'd better report this."
41Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 19:59:24.06ID:elyqj+mf0
Turned out to just be an early-rising old man wiping his windows.
51Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:02:08.58ID:r9jKjiTH0
Isn't reporting stuff like this the real sickness here?
60Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:04:06.77ID:v3si6fGj0
>>51
The reporting isn't the issue — it's the police publicizing it as an official incident.
67Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:06:17.09ID:RCm76GOf0
What a heinous crime. Might as well give him the death penalty, right?
73Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:07:10.05ID:v3si6fGj0
>>67
He's not even bald or chubby — isn't that a bit harsh? (riffing on the stereotypical 'suspicious person' description)
71Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:06:55.43ID:fACyal6u0
It's early morning — that makes it old-man time! Women have no business being outside during old-man time!
80Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:09:57.04ID:v3si6fGj0
>>71
The old guy probably woke up way too early, and an hour later he's already back asleep.
84Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:10:15.44ID:yRjwGGQh0
Lol, waving at a woman is a crime now? What kind of country is this? lol
87Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:10:56.64ID:v3si6fGj0
>>84
Lol it's not a crime — it's an 'incident.'
111Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:19:37.75ID:cVW9kc8R0
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134Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:45:33.90ID:Y/2fReXR0
Like the people who suddenly pretend to be on the phone while waiting to cross the street.
141Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:54:16.60ID:n/WJuRwp0
>>134
What's wrong with that?
140Anonymous2026/08/22(土) 20:53:30.99ID:cqkZZPbo0
At this point every man alive is a suspicious person.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “[Gunma] Man waves at woman walking home on the street.”
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