S'porean woman says elderly man punched her in Japan, possibly related to 'Butsukari Otoko' phenomenon

A Singaporean woman had an unexpected and painful encounter in Sapporo, Japan, after she says she was punched in the elbow by an elderly man while walking through Pole Town, an underground shopping street in the city.

TikTok user, Ally, recounted the incident in a video posted on her account.

The incident

@aliciatadah First time for everything right 🥹✨ I still love Sapporo & Japan duh, weird people everywhere even in my home 😶‍🌫️ #japan #travel #wtf ♬ original sound - Ally ✨

According to her, she and a group of six friends were walking in the underground mall when the man struck her without warning.

“I just got punched in the elbow by a Japanese old man,” she said at the start of her video.

She added that she was walking normally when the elderly man approached from the opposite direction.

Moments later, he allegedly attempted to hit her friend who was walking behind her.

The whole group was left shocked.

Ally claimed the man continued moving forward and appeared to target others around him.

“He was like punching everyone that was next to him, near to him,” she said, adding that she had not obstructed his path in any way.

“FYI I was not in his way or was I like going to collide with him… we were just walking past each other.”

Butsukari otoko phenomenon

The incident quickly drew attention online, with some netizens suggesting it may be linked to a phenomenon known as “Butsukari Otoko”, which literally means “Bumping Man”.

The term refers to men who intentionally collide with or shoulder-check passers-by, often women, typically in crowded public spaces.

Unlike regular accidental jostling, the acts are seen as intentional aggression disguised as mishaps. Here's an example:

Perpetrators are usually middle-aged men, sometimes called “butsukari ojisan”, who target individuals who appear vulnerable or unlikely to confront them.

They forcefully bump into their targets and often move on quickly to evade accountability, leaving victims uncertain about whether the contact was deliberate.

Netizen reaction

Other commenters were quick to share that they had faced similar situations in Japan.

Some commenters responding to the incident speculated that the elderly man may have been reacting to tourists he perceived as loud or disruptive, asking whether Ally and her friends had been speaking loudly in the underground walkway at the time.

However, Ally denies this, saying her group had simply been walking normally and wasn't being loud or rowdy when the man approached.

At the end of her video, Ally advised others visiting Sapporo to stay alert when using underground walkways.

“If you come to Sapporo… beware of a random old guy that’s gonna punch you in the arm.”

Despite this, Ally says she still loves Japan and that "weird people" can be found anywhere.

Mothership has reached out to Ally for comment.

Top images via aliciatadah/TikTok, Google maps