Elderly woman breaks student's nose for failing to give up bus seat

An elderly Japanese woman attacked a student and broke his nose after he refused to give her his seat on a bus.

Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Published: 9:22PM BST 09 Jul 2010

Tamiko Masuta, 66, the manager of an apartment complex, was arrested after assaulting the teenager on a bus with her umbrella.

According to witnesses, she flew into a rage when the student did not stand up and offer her his place, designated as a "silver seat" for elderly passengers.

As well as striking him with an umbrella, the pensioner kicked the 18-year-old student and inflicted bruising as well as the broken nose.

Police said she has refused to either admit or deny the charges against her, but added that she has been questioned previously over assaults on students in buses in the city and been given verbal warnings about her conduct.

The incident in Nagasaki is symptomatic of the widening chasm between the generations in Japan, with older people continuing to expect young people to show the respect that is traditional in Japanese society for the elderly.

Young people often have a very different understanding of what constitutes manners in Japan.

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/7881472/Elderly-woman-breaks-students-nose-for-failing-to-give-up-bus-seat.html