2 teens arrested for extorting Y2.3 mil from classmate

So a mom sees her kid carrying a bunch of cash, and instead of asking him where he got it, she calls the school?

Where the hell were the teachers when all this was going on?

How about all the other students?

I, too, wondered why the mother called the school. Aren't parents here parenting?

The boy was carrying a computer. If his mom asked him where he got the computer, what do you think his response is going to be? "I got it at school"

And what do you think the mother's next call is going to be?

The two boys were quoted by police as saying they wanted to use the money to play around.

JHS kids? Damn that's a lot of Pokemon cards!

You kidding me? The mother did a dam good job fessing up for her kid. As usual, teachers and fellow classmates didn't raise an eyelid. Probably giggled as it was all happening.

How does a JHS boy take 2.3 million yen from his parents without them knowing? This sounds a little fishy to me. I wonder if someone put them up to it. Junior high school sounds quite scary these days!

Kudos to the mother. Must take a lot of guts and fear of public shaming for doing the right thing. It's amazing that the boy could get 2 Mil without their parents knowledge. Must be pocket money to them. If I even lose 10,000 yen, I notice it straight away.

Shame on those bagging the mum. She took action pretty swiftly, what more can we ask from parents?!

On the other hand I dunno how you can steal jpy 2.3M from your parents without them noticing? Do they have a money box on the chimney? filthy rich?

Mother snitched on her own kid. I love it!

The kid took 2.3 million yen off his parents and they didn't notice? That's pretty strange in itself.

The mother did a dam good job fessing up for her kid.

No. Doing a "dam good job" of fessing up for her kid, when she saw CASH, would be to call the cops, not the school.

How did a 14 year old kid get his hands on 23 grand in cash? That's what I want to know!

Stupid is as stupid does....

I, too, wondered why the mother called the school. Aren't parents here parenting

Obviously not. I've heard the teachers here often play a huge role parenting. The mother should've sat her son down and interrogated him. Then call the police, the school last. Not first.

The boy took a total of 2.3 million yen in cash from his parents without their knowledge, and gave it to his tormentors in three installments.

The incident came to light after the mother of one of the bullies called the school, reporting that her son was carrying a computer and a significant amount of cash she was not aware he had.

WOW! The disconnect here always shocks me.

and a significant amount of cash she was not aware he had. 2.3million, damn must be a well off family to have that much petty cash lying around the house

Obviously not. I've heard the teachers here often play a huge role parenting. The mother should've sat her son down and interrogated him. Then call the police, the school last. Not first.

Obviously new to Japan. That is not how things work here.

Obviously not. I've heard the teachers here often play a huge role parenting. The mother should've sat her son down and interrogated him. Then call the police, the school last. Not first.

Public school is where Japanese people are taught to be Japanese citizens.

and a significant amount of cash she was not aware he had. 2.3million, damn must be a well off family to have that much petty cash lying around the house

Not really! Many families have home safes where they store cash in case of emergencies. It would not be to difficult to go into the house safe and take some cash without people knowing.

The only people who check their money stash everyday is "Scrooge McDuck"!

Obviously new to Japan. That is not how things work here

That's how things should work. If you saw your kid with a new pc and wad of cash wouldn't that arouse you to ask where they got it from? You don't call a school.

That's how things should work. If you saw your kid with a new pc and wad of cash wouldn't that arouse you to ask where they got it from? You don't call a school.

Should? Why do you assume that your way is better?

If you plan on living here for any length of time it would help to at least attempt to understand the reasons why things are as they are, I assure you it will end up saving you headaches in the long run.

The kid took 2.3 million yen off his parents and they didn't notice? That's pretty strange in itself.

exactly, never heard of slush money in the family !

Good this was discovered. It could have ended as another suicide.

If you plan on living here for any length of time it would help to at least attempt to understand the reasons why things are as they are

I see your point Yubaru.

I do try and understand, but I just don't see the logic very often. I think Japan needs to chage. It's up to them, not me, I'm just an outsider doing my own thing. Its fun to throw out my 2 cents in these threads. I'm always the nail that sticks up.

The mother has absolutely done the right thing. My hat goes off to her. She obviously knows her son, knew where the answer to the story probably lay, and got straight onto it. That's good parenting.

Must have been sobering to realize Dear Son is a criminal bully, though.

The mother did the right thing, but I fear that her son's career has already been mapped out for him.

Sounds like these two kids have a bright future as yakuza members or politicians!

You don't call a school.

At first they try to work it out with the teachers and families, so the kids don't get a record.

The amount if money some people have in the house of often shocking. If not a safe, then in a dresser somewhere. MIL always had a couple hundred man in 'tansu youkin' (dresser savings :-) ) , as did many of her friends. Even my grandparents did it...the generation that didn't trust banks. I'd never leave cash in the house, but many people do.

If the mother suspected her child obtained the computer from school then, obviously, calling the school would be the first step. I doubt the police would even be interested in someone who turns up telling them "my son has a computer I didn't know about" as it's not a crime to be in posession of a computer.

Hoagy Carmichael wrote Hong Kong Blues, which was featured in a Bogart Bacall film. "He had a "yen" to see that bay again."

This story is going to get bigger. Unfortunately for the father.

Himajin, It's not so much not trusting the banks. I asked my in laws why they always have so much cash at hand, and found out confirmation on March 11, 2011. No electricity, no ATM, no money to buy food in the few shops that may open a few days after. It therefore is part of your survival kit which you should have at home anyway.

It therefore is part of your survival kit which you should have at home anyway.

And, if you look at the interest rates on deposits, you might spend more on transportation taking your money to the bank than you would get in interest so you are not losing anything by keep it at home.

For example, the yearly interest on ordinary accounts at the bank I use is currently 0.001%. If you don't believe it, here is their rate page.

http://www.bk.mufg.jp/cdocs/list_j/kinri/yokin_kinri.htm

Children's society can really be nasty. Obviously, kids lack good judgement and sense and a lack of strong parenting can lead to poorly realized ethics and compassion. Japan is a tough world with both parents and teachers ridiculously overworked, in some cases. I blame the system. Restorative justice aims to make things right in the community and would give victims a sense that there is accountability. The "normal" justice system has weak mechanisms for guaranteeing that the bullies will truly develop a sense of responsibility and accountability. Having these bullies get involved in putting things right in the community, working to restore the community, atone publicly and demonstrate to everyone their sorrow and their positive contribution will help everyone heal.

Newslover, having money at home is important, but not in the amounts MIL and her friends had.

Good on the mother of one of the bullies for calling the school to find out what her kid was up to.

Future contenders for the Governor of Tokyo.

Glad they were caught and good for the mother following up on her suspicions.

Yabura, you have the typical Japanese way of looking at things. Your schoo system is a total mess and yet youdon't seem to take kindly to outsiders who criticize it.

For example, the yearly interest on ordinary accounts at the bank I use is currently 0.001%. If you don't believe it, here is their rate page.

Don't forget that you have to pay tax on that 0.001% interest, leaving you with a whopping 0.0008% per annum to fritter away. They should write it in exponential form 1e-3%.

I'm happy when I get my 3 or 4 Yen interest from the bank and it can't be taxed.