PLT RPT; B747-400; SFO-KIX (OSAKA; JAPAN) INTOXICATED PAX INTERFERED WITH CREW'S DUTIES; ASSAULTED THE CAPT. DETAINED BY OSAKA POLICE.

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IN SUM: APPROX 5 HRS OUT OF SFO TO OSAKA; A JAPANESE PAX BECAME INTOXICATED AND OUT OF CTL. HE BECAME ENRAGED WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS DENIED HIM MORE LIQUOR. HE DEMANDED TO SEE THE CAPT TO HAVE HIM VERIFY THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD THAT LEGAL AUTH. THE CAPT GAVE THE CHIEF PURSER HIS BUSINESS CARD; STATING THAT THE PAX WAS TO OBEY ALL DIRECTIVES OF THE CABIN CREW. THE MAN FLAUNTED HIS DRINKING FROM HIS OWN LIQUOR SUPPLY. HE BECAME MORE BELLIGERENT AND ABUSIVE. THE CAPT DIRECTED THE AFT PURSER; WHO WAS JAPANESE-LANGUAGE QUALIFIED; TO RESEAT THE MAN AND HIS WIFE AWAY FROM THEIR LIQUOR STASH. THE CAPT GOT IN A PHYSICAL SCUFFLE WITH THE MAN. IT TOOK THE CAPT AND 2 FLT ATTENDANTS TO SUBDUE HIM. THE COPLT WAS CALLED TO BRING HANDCUFFS. THEY MOVED HIM TO AN EMPTY ROW NEAR AN EMER EXIT. FOR LNDG; THE CAPT HAD THE HANDCUFFS REMOVED AND HAD THE MAN GUARDED BY 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE COPLT. THE OSAKA POLICE DECIDED THAT NO JAPANESE REGS WERE VIOLATED; BECAUSE THE CREW HAD BEEN ABLE TO SUBDUE THE MAN. THEY ASKED FOR COPIES OF THE PAGES IN THE PLT'S MANUAL DEALING WITH INTERFERENCE OF INFLT DUTIES AND THE CAPT'S AUTH TO USE RESTRAINING FORCE. UPON RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES; THE CAPT REQUESTED A DEBRIEFING WITH THE AIRLINE'S CHIEF PLT; THEIR LCL REPRESENTATIVE AND THE PLT'S UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE; REQUESTING THAT THE FAA BE NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT; AFTER SUBDUING THE MAN; HE HAD TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT CALL: WHETHER TO GO BACK TO ANCHORAGE (3 1/2 HRS BEHIND HIM) OR GO TO THE NEAREST CITY IN JAPAN; CHOOSING THE LATTER. THE CAPT BELIEVES THAT THE JAPANESE POLICE WERE NOT FAMILIAR IN HANDLING CREW INTERFERENCE INCIDENTS ON INTL FLTS. SINCE THE INCIDENT; THE RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN INTERROGATED TWICE BY THE JAPANESE POLICE; BUT SO FAR AS HE KNOWS THEY HAVE NOT PRESSED CHARGES AGAINST THE PAX.