A Monkey in Tokyo: Shibuya Station Shut Down During Rush Hour

"monkey rides the subway in japan"
Spectacular Blog (August 20, 2008)

"A monkey got loose in a subway station in Tokyo, and the police couldn't catch it! You can read all about it here! Since I've got tags for japan and monkeys, of course, I'm posting about it.

"Oh, and there's video, too!"

Normally, I don't quote an entire post: but I don't think this blogger will mind. You'll have to visit his post to see the photo and the video, from CBS News.

Spectacular Blog's author is, I think, smart: people seem drawn to animals. Particularly photogenic ones like cats: and monkeys.

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Monkeys, Tokyo Subways, and Customer Satisfaction

The unnamed monkey was spotted in central Tokyo's Shibuya Station. If this is how monkeys are treated when they try to use the subway, no wonder they don't try very often.

More seriously, Tokyo authorities are on the look out for the monkey. Or maybe monkeys. None of the city's registered pet monkeys is missing, so this is a wild animal. And, although it looks cute, it could be dangerous.

Don't get me wrong: I think that monkey looks cute, and sympathize with the little critter. On the other hand, anything that's as scared as that monkey looks might take a bite out of someone, 'in self-defense.'


YouTube video (August 20, 2008) (originally from MSNBC.com)

video, 1:27

Tokyo monkey in the news:

• "Raw: Rogue Monkey Runs Wild in Tokyo Subway Station"
  Breitbart (with video (1:28)) (August 20, 2008)
• "Rogue monkey evades police at train station
  KARE-11 (with video (1:27)) (August 20, 2008)
• "Monkey eludes net-wielding police at Tokyo station"
  Reuters (August 20, 2008)
• "Monkey triggers Tokyo subway chaos"
  CNN (August 20, 2008)

(I tried getting the embedded MSNBC.com video on this post through more news-service-approved means, but this YouTube video is the only option I found that actually works, and contains English commentary. I hope to see, someday, a world in which network executives do not make it nearly impossible for their capable employees to make intelligent use of information technology.)