The Crime File - Japan

I always read the crime section of the English news in Japan. I thought you might be interested in the type of crime that makes the national news here. Here are a few of the recent stories. 

1. A 29 year old man was arrested for trespassing on the grounds of the Akasaka Estate where the imperial residences are located last Saturday night.  The man said he wanted to meet the imperial family. He climbed over the west gate around 9:40 pm.  Around 11:30 pm he was apprehended near the residence of Princess Yuriko. the great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito. 

2. In Tokyo, two men were were arrested for stealing a wallet from a sleeping passenger on a subway train. (It's quite common to see people sleeping on the train because it is usually so safe in Japan). The incident happened around 6:45 am Sunday.  The 24 year old victim had passed out after drinking all night and the two accused men lifted the wallet containing about 8,000 yen from an open bag.  A police officer saw the incident and the pair were caught. 

3. Six minors were arrested for robbing a pachinko (type of gambling) parlor in Oita prefecture. The gang forced an employee to give them three million yen from the office safe.  The thieves were identified on the surveillance camera footage and arrested Sunday night. 

4. A 24 year old driver was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he drove his car for about 500 meters, trying to shake off a 58 year old man who was clinging to the hood of his car.  This happened in Atsugi, Kanagawa about 10 pm Wednesday. The driver owed the other man one million yen.  When the other man came to collect it, the driver jumped in his car and tried to get away, but the other man jumped on the hood of the car.  Police said the man finally fell off and suffered a fractured collarbone. 

5. Two men pretending to be police officers robbed a family in Yokohama of twelve million yen.  The fake policemen called on a family of three (husband and wife in their 70's and son in his 40's) at around 6:30 pm Sunday, and the family invited them in. The fake policemen demanded money, then bound the three and left. After freeing themselves, the family called the real police. They were not injured. I don't know if the fake policemen have been caught yet.

6. In Utsunomiya, Tochigi, police arrested a 52 year old unemployed man after he failed to report the death of his 85 year old mother and kept her body at home. The man claimed his mother died of natural causes in November and he didn't know what to do.  Both mother and son were receiving welfare benefits. (I read this kind of story pretty often - the family member doesn't report the death and continues to receive the elderly person's benefits.) 

7. Last Wednesday a man in eastern Japan near Tokyo was arrested for sending out dozens of fake special popsicle sticks to an ice cream maker so they could be redeemed for popular Pokemon cards. The company's competition ran in June and July last year, where consumers could send in rare lucky sticks in exchange for special Pokemon game cards.