The Tokyo police have arrested a man who allegedly attacked Japanese entertainment icon Takeshi Kitano while he was in his car, fortunately nobody was injured during the incident.
The 74-year-old director and actor, also known by his stage name Beat Takeshi, was in his car with his driver just leaving the compound of TBS television network after his weekly talk show.
The suspect allegedly smashed Kitano’s car several times with a pickaxe, demanding Takeshi get out of the car, according to Takeshi. A security guard called police and the suspect was arrested at the scene.
The suspect is a man in his 40s and was also carrying a knife with a 10-centimeter (4-inch) blade, according to media reports.
Tokyo police on Monday refused to confirm the reports, though they did say that a suspect was arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons.
The suspect told police that he got angry after he was ignored in June when he kneeled down in front of Kitano’s car seeking help to let him join the entertainment industry. Police are investigating the suspect’s motives, reports said.
Multi-talented Kitano is also active as a comedian, actor and writer. He won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for “Hana-Bi” in 1997 and has also directed other popular films including “Zatoichi,” “Sonatine,” and “Outrage.”
