2009/11/06
Glimpses of Japan（外国人から見た日本）
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Glimpses of Japan (外国人から見た日本)
vol.264 Different Face, Same Incompetence
2009.11.6
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Tatsuya Ichihashi, wanted by police as a suspect in the March 2007 murder of
Lindsay Hawker, managed to escape by running away, barefoot, from nine police
officers sent to question him at his apartment. Despite numerous news stories
about the crime including video clips of the suspect, a 10 million yen reward
for information leading to his arrest, and wanted posters prominently displayed
all over the country, the police have been unsuccessful in catching him for
more than two years.
This week, it has become clear that the suspect has had cosmetic surgery to
alter his appearance, particularly to change his more distinctive features.
He had surgery on his nose in Nagoya on October 24th, and attempted to have
surgery in Fukuoka in mid-October but failed because he had not made a prior
appointment.
It seems that when Ichihashi visited the Nagoya clinic to heighten his nose
by a few millimeters, it was obvious that he had *already* had plastic surgery
to alter his eyelids, nose and lower lip and to remove two moles on is cheek.
Removing moles is apparently unusual for men, which caused one of the staff
members at the clinic to become suspicious and alert the police…but too late.
Now the police have published a photograph showing Ichihashi's current face
(altered by the police to remove a beard and moustache). I hope that somebody
recognizes him and reports it to the police promptly this time, and that the
police manage to overcome their tendency to incompetence long enough to arrest
him.
Unfortunately, I don't have much confidence that this will happen, based on
the events so far.
What I find especially perplexing is how at least one other plastic surgeon
managed to miss recognizing Ichihashi when he underwent the surgery prior to
the Nagoya episode.
It's not surprising that ordinary people fail to recognize some passerby as
the person on a wanted poster. The fugitive naturally is trying to disguise
himself, and is unlikely to be a good match for the wanted poster's picture(s).
An employer or coworker would be more likely to recognize him, because they
see him frequently, but they also might reasonably fail to connect him to the
wanted suspect.
A cosmetic/plastic surgeon, on the other hand, is in the business of seeing
and understanding even very small facial features and subtle distinctions.
It's obvious, too, that a fugitive?if he could find the money somehow?could
be expected to try to get face-altering surgery. How is it possible for one
or more cosmetic surgeons to have failed to notice that their patient is the
fellow whose?very distinctive?face has been on the news and on wanted posters
for over two years?
Glimpses of Japan vol.264
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