Authorities in Hong Kong have expressed concern to the local Japanese consulate after a resident was struck on the head with a beer bottle in Sapporo, and have called on Tokyo to better protect visitors from the city.
However, local tour operators said the attack was likely an isolated incident that would not impact Hongkongers’ appetite to visit Japan.
The Hong Kong government said that it had immediately contacted the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong and the Chinese consulate in Sapporo to follow up and provide “practicable assistance” to the person involved.
“The [government] has already expressed concerns to the consul-general of Japan in Hong Kong, urging the Japanese government to ensure the personal safety of Hong Kong travellers in Japan in accordance with the law,” it said.
The Chinese consulate in Sapporo previously said that the incident took place at a restaurant in the early hours of Wednesday, and that Japanese police had apprehended the suspect involved.
