As rice prices continue to rise, rice thefts have been occurring in Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures. Police said 12 cases, totaling approximately 2.5 tons, were stolen in April.
According to police, between April 3 and April 27, there were eight cases of rice theft from warehouses in Chikusei, Inashiki and Hitachinaka cities in Ibaraki Prefecture, TV Asahi reported. Each case contained about 420 kilograms, totaling approximately 1.5 tons.
In addition, there have been four thefts in Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture, in which a total of one ton of rice was stolen.
Police are calling for rice growers to keep warehouses locked and install surveillance cameras.
© Japan Today
13 Comments
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marc laden
May be this is because of Trump tariff on Japanese rice???? waiting to watch it on CNN and MSNBC ...
MarkX
With the price of rice these days I'd have armed guards standing watch in front of my warehouses.
Mr Kipling
Usual suspects?
wallace
Thefts of rice and cabbages.
sakurasuki
When price became doubled, more and more thief interested into that commodity, stil blamed to the thief?
https://japantoday.com/category/national/tokyo-rice-prices-up-over-90-in-april-marking-record-on-year-rise
Norm
Perhaps. Last year it was usually other Japanese farmers.
Mr Kipling
Yes, there was one case that made the news. Along with many other farm thefts involving "the usual suspects".
Norm
There were at least two reported on JapanToday alone. And more if you look at other news sites.
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/farmer-arrested-over-theft-of-150-kilograms-of-onions-in-kyoto-prefecture
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/kyoto-green-onion-theft-victim-becomes-kyoto-green-onion-thief
@Japan Glimpsed
Nothing has been suggested in Japanese reporting about the identity of suspects other than to speculate that a criminal group may be involved.
Case?
falseflagsteve
Gangs from other countries mostly Chinese and Vuatnamese have been taken advantage of low security in the countryside. Not just rice stolen, fruit, machinery etc.
Its a problem that needs dealing with urgently.
KyotoToday
I'm surprised I got halfway through the comments before finding "Bloody Foreigners!"
Mr Kipling
Why surprised?
There are numerous cases of South East Asians stealing farm produce and machinery.
Not all of the thefts are by these groups and not all SE Asians are thieves. But facts are facts.
falseflagsteve
People daftly mention that Japanese also commit these crimes, it’s a way to deflect the truth you see. Well over 90% of those living here are Japanese. The same illogical tactics were used and still are in the West.
I prefer to deal with facts and data rather than bury my head in the sand