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The story
A nuisance prank called “Shaolin Racing” — barging into police stations and other buildings before running off — is popping up one after another across Japan. According to a Kansai TV report, a 7-year-old boy was taken in by police in Osaka Prefecture, and a third-grade elementary school student who was invited to join by friends reportedly said, “Almost all the boys are going to the police station.” Reactions on 5ch were split, with some users criticizing the light punishment, others saying it’s no different from old-fashioned pranks, and still others suggesting that trust in the police is part of what’s driving it.
Nuisance Prank “Shaolin Racing” Spreads Nationwide — 7-Year-Old Taken In by Police in Osaka; Invited 3rd-Grader Says “Almost All the Boys Are Going to Police Stations” — Why Does It Keep Spreading? How Is It Different From Old-School Pranks?
Sat, Nov 7, 6:00 AM JST
Kansai TV (KTV)
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Honestly, might be better to pull the kid away from the parents and put them in a facility.
No way a decent parent raised this one.
The facilities are probably already full up, though.
Messing with strangers who didn't sign up for it is exactly what makes it a nuisance.
So we're just going to keep breeding more of these brats who ignore everything.
Normally you'd be way too scared to provoke someone carrying a gun.
They can only pull this off because they're dead certain the cops won't actually shoot.
Makes sense. I'd love to see them try that stunt on cops in America.
Now THAT would be a real test of nerve.
Times change, but kids' pranks never do.
It'd be fine, as long as there's no special reason for targeting the authorities specifically.
Is it just that cops aren't scary anymore??
Five years would be ideal.
Make the parents foot the bill for everything.
The family meeting after release is gonna be a scorcher.
So basically you're saying: if you're gonna get caught anyway, just steal a gun instead?
Doesn't seem like the kind of thing that happens in the city areas of northern Osaka, though.
Trends die out in a flash though. You end up thinking, "wait, people are still doing this?"
That assumes adults' IQ hasn't dropped too — it has.
At best they could maybe pin an obstruction-of-business charge on them lol
Well, at the very least they'll end up on some kind of list.
How much that comes back to bite them later depends on the kid.
But just like a tattoo, it's never going to work in their favor.
Go ahead and show us their face, name, and school too, while you're at it.
That's illegal — the Juvenile Act protects minors' identities.
Why'd you go and coin a whole new phrase for that?
Nah, something's broken in the heads of people who do the "Shaolin" thing.
Well, Hezuma's a sitting politician now, so… (referring to controversial ex-YouTuber Hezuma Ryo)
If people see that go unpunished, no wonder more copycats show up.
At least the ringleader got caught right away.
Background and Key Points of This Story
“Shaolin Racing” refers to a phenomenon in which a prank — barging into police stations and similar buildings before running away — spread through online videos and was widely copied, with cases now emerging, as here, involving kids as young as 7 or in elementary school. One thing worth clarifying: being “taken in” by police (hodo) is not the same as arrest or indictment. It’s a measure meant to protect and guide minors suspected of delinquent behavior, and it doesn’t directly lead to criminal punishment or a criminal record. The thread split between those who see this as just a continuation of old-school pranks like ding-dong-dash, and those who argue that targeting a public institution like the police makes it a different kind of act entirely. The suggestion that a sense of safety — knowing “the police won’t shoot” — is part of what’s driving the behavior is also an interesting angle on the psychology behind the copycat spread. Meanwhile, plenty of commenters criticized the punishment as too light, but neither the article nor the thread spells out that handling of minors operates within the Juvenile Act’s framework, whose purpose is protection rather than punishment — meaning the debate over tougher penalties runs up against the very purpose of that system.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Shaolin] Nuisance Prank “Shaolin Racing” Spreads — 7-Year-Old Taken In by Police in Osaka; Invited 3rd-Grader Says “Almost All the Boys Are Going to Police Stations”.”
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