A 47-year-old Osaka voter has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an election official after being greeted with a phrase he found insulting, the Osaka Prefectural Police said.
After casting his ballots Sunday for the Osaka gubernatorial election, company employee Takao Nakamura of Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, assaulted the official in his 70s at a polling station who greeted him by saying "gokuro-san," which loosely translates as "thanks for your trouble," the prefectural police said.
Upon hearing that, Nakamura, who police say was drunk, allegedly went berserk, turning over a nearby table and hitting the official in the head.
"Who do you think you are, to address me with that phrase?" Nakamura was quoted as ranting at the official.
Nakamura, according to the police, argued that "gokuro-san" is only appropriate when used to greet a lower-ranking person, and thus demanded an apology from the official. Generally, the phrase is not considered offensive in this context.
Nakamura was further quoted as saying the official should have instead addressed him as "otsukare-sama" to express his gratitude, because it sounds more respectful.
The Sankei Shimbun reported that Nakamura then threatened to shove the official's head into the corner of the table.
Nakamura, who caused a similar scene during last December's Lower House election, admitted to attacking the official, saying he "went overboard," the police said.