A 74-year-old man arrested over the fatal stabbing of the neighbor living directly above him in a Muroran apartment has told investigators the noise was too loud, police sources said.
Minoru Arita, 74, unemployed and a resident of Muroran, Hokkaido, is suspected of stabbing Kazuo Tani, 71, on Nov. 6. Tani lived in the same apartment building. Police have not said whether the two men had argued before the attack.
Arita has given a statement to the effect that "the noise was loud," according to investigative sources. In April, a report about noise from the upstairs resident was made to police by Arita, the sources said.
Police have not established whether that report concerned Tani. Investigators are looking into whether a dispute between the two men led to the killing.
Noise complaints in ageing blocks
The case places a spotlight on friction between older residents in ageing apartment buildings, where people spend more of the day at home and sound carries through thin floors. Police in Muroran have not said how long the two men had lived in the building.