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The story
On the evening of October 8 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a boy walking home from elementary school was approached by an unfamiliar elderly man who said “hello” to him twice, prompting police to issue a public warning. The man was described only as roughly 70 to 80 years old, a bit overweight, with white hair — no further details are known. On the 5ch forum, reactions to this police report split sharply between people shocked that “even saying hello can get you reported now” and others insisting that “being wary of suspicious strangers is just common sense,” sparking a wider debate over how greeting an unfamiliar child should be treated socially.
In Hokkaido, a string of incidents has occurred in which unfamiliar men spoke to elementary schoolers walking home, and in which children at play were photographed without permission — prompting police to issue a warning.
Around 5:00 p.m. on October 8, on a street near Toko 9-jo 7-chome in Asahikawa, an elementary school boy walking home was approached by an unfamiliar man who said “hello” to him twice.
The man was approximately 70 to 80 years old, about 160 to 180 cm tall, with a stocky build and white hair.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
I don't know what century this guy thinks he's living in, but these days a man can get hit with a molestation or harassment charge just for staring at a woman a beat too long — so why's he suddenly surprised about this… 😮💨
Apparently there's a study showing 83% of chubby men don't go gray easily
But if you've got an outie belly button on top of that, your life's basically over ("debeso" — a classic self-deprecating body joke in Japan)
Times really do change
That's basically the entire height range for an adult man — meaning they don't actually remember it
Ignoring them feels bad, but forcing a smile and greeting them back is exhausting too
And then I get treated as the suspicious one for it? Might as well call me a random attacker at that point
Isn't that the same as a convenience store clerk saying "Welcome!"?
Or is it to not talk to strangers at all?
Comparing line 1 — which assumes people are good by nature — with line 2 — which assumes people are bad by nature — doesn't really work
Isn't it weird that it's not okay when an adult does it?
Maybe it's because it's startling coming from an adult? 🥺
Is ignoring someone who greets you the correct move now?
Saying hello makes you a criminal?
If a kid greets you first, responding is fine
But greeting a kid first yourself is NOT fine
I get that kids who say hi don't mean any harm
But that aside, I just don't want some stranger — me — getting involved with them
It's less like a clerk saying "Welcome!" and more like them saying "The usual fried chicken stick, right?" at the convenience store
You're overthinking it
Just say "hello" back on autopilot, that's all you have to do
But even in the same area, some schools aren't like that at all
I guess it comes down to the principal's or teachers' policy?
Kids raised at a school that teaches greetings versus one that doesn't — seems like there'd be a real gap in communication skills
Lots of elementary schoolers in my area greet people too
When they cross a crosswalk or you let them go first, they always turn around and bow
I say hi in the mornings, but yeah, some people just ignore it, or just aren't good with it
Even small things like that can be a hassle sometimes, and ignoring it is totally fine too
I once got hit on by an old lady who'd wandered off from a nursing home when I walked past it LOL
She asked me, "Where are you headed, young man?"
Don't go turning a confused old lady saying hello into a crime
Apparently greetings between hikers actually serve a real purpose
By greeting each other, you register the other person's presence and how they're doing
Because you never know when or where someone might get into trouble out there
That'll be the next headline: "Suspicious Man Ignores Elementary Schooler's Greeting"
A suspicious man was observed averting his eyes and silently walking away after being greeted
Failing to return a greeting → "Maybe he doesn't understand Japanese, stay alert"
Kid: "I'm telling the police!"
Old man: "Huh?"
This old geezer said "hello" at dusk, though (the daytime greeting, when "good evening" would've fit the time better)
Normally you wouldn't, right?
Which just proves this old guy isn't normal
Once you get to my age, the neighborhood elementary schoolers actually greet you first
Background and Key Points of This Debate
Cases like this “suspicious approach” incident are handled through a system in which police issue area-wide warnings after receiving reports from parents or schools, regardless of whether a child was actually harmed. The fact that something as mild as a greeting can get shared widely as “suspicious person” information struck many on 5ch as absurd, with some reacting in shock that “we’ve reached an age where you can’t even say hello anymore.” At the same time, part of the background is that crime-prevention education teaching children to be wary of unfamiliar adults who speak to them has become widespread, which has helped entrench a broader mindset that treats any contact with strangers as a potential risk. Within the thread, opinions were split over how greeting culture has changed and over a social climate in which elderly people’s behavior is especially likely to be flagged as suspicious — raising points that can’t be fully explained as a simple generational divide.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “👴 ‘Hello’ — Elementary Schoolboy Walking Home Greeted Twice by Unfamiliar Elderly Man.”
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