Bullet train service suspended over graffiti attack on carriage

Graffiti found on a Shinkansen bullet train carriage parked at a depot in Tokyo led to the suspension of the train's planned operation, affecting hundreds of passengers, railway officials said.

Police began investigating the case on suspicion of destruction of property.

According to railway officials, graffiti reading "Hack" in English was found on the side of a carriage of a Joetsu Shinkansen train parked at a train depot of East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) in Tokyo's Kita-ku at around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

A driver who was inspecting trains at the depot found the graffiti and reported the incident to Takinogawa Police Station.

JR East suspended a train service on the Joetsu Shinkansen Line as it tried to erase the graffiti on the train that was to be used on the line, affecting about 500 passengers.

According to JR East, the graffiti -- which measured 1 by 4 to 5 meters -- was painted on the outside of the second carriage of the Shinkansen train in blue, red and white paint.

Officials suspect that someone painted the graffiti after 12:08 a.m., when the last train came into the depot on Tuesday.

(Mainichi - July 1st 2008)