HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested a 25-year-old company employee from Sapporo City for allegedly using a chainsaw to fell trees along a railway line in order to get a clear photograph of a popular sightseeing train.
Shun Sakuraba faces charges of property damage in connection with the September 30 vandalism along the tracks of the Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko-go scenic railway.
Upon his arrest, Sakuraba admitted to the allegations. “I cut them because they were in the way of my photography,” he told investigators.
The incident took place on the final day of operation for the Yuhi (Sunset) Norokko-go, a special twilight run of the popular tourist train, which officially retired in October. Driven by a desire to capture the perfect shot of the train’s final sunset journey, the suspect allegedly took landscaping into his own hands.
Police believe Sakuraba did not act alone. He is accused of committing the crime alongside an acquaintance, Kodai Watanabe, who was arrested earlier in the investigation.
The chainsaw believed to have been used to clear the foliage was previously confiscated from Watanabe. Investigators are continuing to probe the incident, operating under the belief that the two men conspired to destroy the trees solely for an unobstructed view of the train.