Attack on Hong Kong man in Sapporo caused by ‘dining etiquette’ dispute
Incident has already prompted Chinese consulate to warn nationals against travel to Japan, amid heightened tensions between Tokyo and Beijing
An attack on a Hong Kong man in the Japanese city of Sapporo that triggered travel warnings from Chinese authorities was reportedly caused by a dispute over “dining etiquette”.
According to Japanese media this week, a 50-year-old company executive was arrested by local police officers on suspicion of striking the tourist with a bottle on Wednesday.
The attack prompted the Chinese consulate in Sapporo to issue a warning advising against travel to Japan.
The Hong Kong government contacted the consulate the next day to provide “practicable assistance” to the resident involved.
Japanese media reported that the suspect admitted to police during questioning that he had hit the tourist with a bottle, but denied injuring the man.
The Hong Kong man reportedly suffered minor head injuries.
Japanese police told media outlets that the pair were not acquainted but had argued earlier over “dining etiquette”, with an ongoing investigation into the motive of the assault and the circumstances of the incident.