2 Vietnamese arrested for stealing Tokyo bikes, 70 thefts suspected

They told police the bikes are popular and sell for high prices in Vietnam, and that the prevalence of parked bicycles in Japan made them easy to steal.

I can count 10 to 15 criminals I met while working for the Immigration that came to Japan exactly with this intent, to pile up as much as they could and go home to count the money. Rinse, repeat.

But vietnamese crime has been out of control these days... from crops to bikes and even copper. I predict things changing in the future.

70 used bicycles-airfare. I just don’t see the risk reward ratio here. There has to be a better way of making a living.

I wonder if they were also stealing bikes in Adachi Ward? There has been an announcement about bike theft and locking your sports(road) bike on the PA system for a few months.

I still see more expensive bikes around Tokyo with Ultegra and high end SRAM components locked with just a spaghetti lock thinner than the cut coil lock in that stock image above.

So about 170,000 arrests in total made in Japan per year in recent years.

Whats 3000 as a percentage ?

Vietnamese crime rates a biggie ?

Nope.

The photograph accompanying this story illustrates how easily a bicycle lock can be cut. The cable is made of strands of aluminum, NOT steel and can be cut easily with a bolt-cutting tool; notice how cleanly it was sliced. This type of lock is lightweight and is available at DIY stores for 1000~2000 yen, but is essentially useless.

Well Japan wants to bring people from Vietnam for filling in the unwanted cheap labor jobs and these sort of criminal activities will definitely happen as a result.

where does it say that they work in Japan?

70 used bicycles-airfare. I just don’t see the risk reward ratio here. 

To a value of 4,000,000 yen. I see the risk reward ratio.

What is a straw man argument?

Someone sets up a claim and then refutes the claim which is irrelevant to the actual issue.

The person who sets up the claim may or may not be that same person.

It is a game of distraction.

The subject of immigrants is not all that it seems on the surface.

Imagine if the author of the article had removed the nationality. How could the motive be reported? Suppressing information is useful for distraction and smug feelings of righteousness.

The suspects appear to have entered Japan repeatedly on tourist visas.

Man...this story or the comments , is like turning over a rock and seeing spiders flee.

The only "fleeing" I see is mewlers fleeing from the uncomfortable truth...or as some put it...from "dodgy stats"

Perhaps Vietnam is not exactly sending the "cream of the crop" to work in Japan.

Why is it necessary to continue discussing criminal suspects' nationality and the crime rate for certain nationalities?

For one, it highlights issues within a given community. For example,

Tuan Anh, who's been living in Tokyo for 10 years and works at the ASEAN-Japan Center, said the issue is a deep-rooted one, having to do with apprenticeship and unrealistic expectations migrant workers in the country have.

Eighty percent of them had to borrow ¥674,000 (US$4,680) on average to make ends meet in Japan, a Nikkei survey revealed.

But some apprentices, on arriving in Japan and becoming disillusioned with the realities of life, become criminals.

"They would have incurred huge debts to get to Japan, and disillusionment coupled with those debts often lead them down the path of crime," Anh said.

Or we could pretend there's no issue and hide our heads in the sand, rather than acknowledge the root of the issue and overcome it.

Bad for the bike owners but it ain't a major crime. They will be sentenced and then deported.

Gee Geeter....then it's true.

Foreigners, especially Vietnamese, are committing all the crime in Japan.

OK...what was the total number of crimes in Japan ?

If 9,000 were crimes committed by foreigners, what was the number for Japanese ?

Come on buddy...back to the drawing board for you methinks.

So about 170,000 arrests in total made in Japan per year in recent years.

Whats 3000 as a percentage ?

Vietnamese crime rates a biggie ?

Nope.

Going by those statistics : If 3432 of all arrests in Japan are Vietnamese people, that's an enormous percentage in relative terms. 2 percent.

So, 1 in 50 of all arrests are Vietnamese.

Every police station in Japan should probably have fluent Vietnamese speakers 24/7.

Perhaps Vietnam should be sending their best instead of the ones they do? Because there are definitely some good people on Vietnam.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-in-japan-concerned-about-high-crime-rates-among-compatriots-4508976.html

If the article really wanted to highlight the struggles of Vietnamese people in Japan, it should talk about the issues they face, like the tough apprenticeship system and financial problems

That's exactly what the article above does. However, without crime reports bringing those crimes to light there would be little to no reflection and sense of urgency about the situation.

Hiromu Shimada, 31, manager of a company that supports foreign nationals based in Tokyo, said the process of recruiting foreign apprentices is not good enough. Many of them are manual workers with poor prospects and modest education, run up huge debts to get to Japan but get paid poorly, he added.

Tuan Anh said companies should be transparent about income and provide training to ensure Vietnamese apprentices adopt proper skills and language capabilities, which will help reduce crimes.

Geeter's information is useful. The Vietnam Express English news site that Geeter recommended is a good source of information on Vietnam. Just because a few people make anti-Vietnamese comments doesn't mean that you should suppress information out of alleged fear that they will influence others. The Japanese news media and government is not at all anti-Vietnamese, quite the opposite.

Japanese companies are not only looking for more Vietnamese labor in Japan, they are also looking to expand business in Vietnam. The more information available on all of this the better because the number of Vietnamese in Japan is going to steadily increase and it is important to understand your neighbors.

Plane home and let the Vietnamese community know they are stigmatizing their community and all immigrant's. 99% are hard working people but that 1% grabs the headlines building up that native animosity for the future, for stereotypes to the uneducated, far right groups. I expect more headlines in the future creating a culture not to dissimilar to what’s been going on in Europe. Japan has a chance to learn from the historical mistakes from Europe and I think the media need to play a part. If 99% of crime is done by Japanese, then 99% of the crime news should be about that. But I think this gets more eyeballs and traction. But a very big mistake! Especially as immigration will increase dramatically in the future.

The Vietnamese are also faking their JLPT results en masse, posting the results before the test and leaking information etc.

As this is visa relevant it’s not a petty crime anymore…

Jail and deport for those pathetic criminal clowns..

It is necessary to report the Vietnamese nationality of these crime suspects. It is essential to the story.

The story makes it clear they were not in Japan on work visas.

There is a current "progressive" fashion of promoting immigrant rights which originated with the US Democratic party and is echoed in Japanese media as Mainichi, Asahi, Akahata. The American Democratic party uses the issue to polish its alleged progressive image while distracting from the way it treats Palestinians in Gaza and Russian speakers in Donbass.

> BellflowerToday  09:59 am JST

It is necessary to report the Vietnamese nationality of these crime suspects. It is essential to the story.

The story makes it clear they were not in Japan on work visas.

There is a current "progressive" fashion of promoting immigrant rights which originated with the US Democratic party and is echoed in Japanese media as Mainichi, Asahi, Akahata. The American Democratic party uses the issue to polish its alleged progressive image while distracting from the way it treats Palestinians in Gaza and Russian speakers in Donbass.

No. If the suspects' visa status is relevant, it should be explicitly stated rather than inferred through nationality. Reporting should focus on pertinent facts of the crime to avoid reinforcing stereotypes or contributing to social harm, regardless of concerns about media bias.

Including the nationality of the suspects in this story is unnecessary because it does not impact the key details of the crime, such as the method of theft, the number of bicycles stolen, and the suspects' admissions.

Mentioning nationality can reinforce negative stereotypes and biases, leading to prejudice and discrimination. Ethical journalism prioritizes facts directly relevant to the incident, and including extraneous details like nationality can contribute to social harm by fostering xenophobia or racial bias, making life for the majority of law-abiding Vietnamese in Japan more difficult than it already is.

So according to posters above, Japan produces no criminals and all crime and general misfortune can be laid at the feet of migrants.

According to the article the perpetrators of this crime were Vietnamese

According to the Yomiuri Shinbun in 2022, Vietnamese nationals accounted for the largest share of the 9,548 foreigners charged with criminal offenses by police last year, at 3,432

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/crime-courts/20230325-99543/

So according to posters above, Japan produces no criminals and all crime and general misfortune can be laid at the feet of migrants.

Interesting.

I assume all this stuff without even knowing you.

I don't have to assume the nationality of 1/3 of those foreign nationals who have committed crimes in Japan in 2022...the ones who were caught anyway. They were Vietnamese

> Fighto!Today  01:34 pm JST

So about 170,000 arrests in total made in Japan per year in recent years.

Whats 3000 as a percentage ?

Vietnamese crime rates a biggie ?

Nope.

Going by those statistics : If 3432 of all arrests in Japan are Vietnamese people, that's an enormous percentage in relative terms. 2 percent.

So, 1 in 50 of all arrests are Vietnamese.

Every police station in Japan should probably have fluent Vietnamese speakers 24/7.

Perhaps Vietnam should be sending their best instead of the ones they do? Because there are definitely some good people on Vietnam.

Please take a moment to consider what this kind of comment does to the vast majority of Vietnamese in Japan who are law-abiding and great contributors to Japanese society and many of whom are children and who already face bullying at school.

Vietnamese, are committing all the crime in Japan.

Said no one

Geeter....are you 1/white , 2/male 3/ American 4/Republican voter 5/ from the South 6/ under 40 years of age ?

I assume all this stuff without even knowing you.

I dont think "Vietnam " , the country , is closely associated with Vietnamese that come to Japan.

That'd be the decision makers at Japan immigration/tourism etc.

So the assertion that "Vietnam not sending their best " is sort of meaningless.

What tourist/visa arrangement exists between the two countries. ?

Probably, anyone can come.

Lots of Japanese organised crime in Asia and Australia.

I dont think they do petty theft like stealing push bikes either.

And GO GEETER....keep those bodgy stats coming.

You like Trump ?

Geeter...sorry man....I just read your comment on another topic about the yen.

I suggest rather than creeping through my messages you read the article about concerned Vietnamese in Japan about the disproportionate amount of crime perpetrated by Vietnamese in Japan. Despite being 15% of the foreign population they account for 1/3 of the crime perpetrated by foreigners.

Law abiding Vietnamese in Japan are certainly concerned. The article points out the root of the issue. I'll give you a heads up as to what the problem isn't...reports on crime.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-in-japan-concerned-about-high-crime-rates-among-compatriots-4508976.html

A tourist would not know how to break up bikes and send them to Vietnam. There has to be an on-going operation that they fitted into on each trip over.

So many Japanese steal bikes but since it’s south East Asians it makes the news…

Fighto!July 11  04:52 pm JST

Perhaps Vietnam is not exactly sending the "cream of the crop" to work in Japan.

See how unnecessarily reporting the nationality of crime suspects reinforces harmful stereotypes and perpetuates racism like this?!

Geeter MckluskieToday  05:54 pm JST

Geeter...sorry man....I just read your comment on another topic about the yen.

I suggest rather than creeping through my messages you read the article about concerned Vietnamese in Japan about the disproportionate amount of crime perpetrated by Vietnamese in Japan. Despite being 15% of the foreign population they account for 1/3 of the crime perpetrated by foreigners.

Law abiding Vietnamese in Japan are certainly concerned. The article points out the root of the issue. I'll give you a heads up as to what the problem isn't...reports on crime.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-in-japan-concerned-about-high-crime-rates-among-compatriots-4508976.html

Why is it necessary to continue discussing criminal suspects' nationality and the crime rate for certain nationalities?

What good does that do anyone? Is it to encourage the Japanese to avoid Vietnamese people?

Should we also segregate crimes by religion, sexual orientation, or hair colour?

There is a reason the media in most developed nations do not report the nationality, ethnicity, or religion of criminal suspects in the news. Doing so can reinforce harmful stereotypes, promote discrimination, and divert attention from the real issues that contribute to crime. Ethical journalism focuses on the facts of the crime itself and respects the dignity and rights of individuals and communities.

There is no longer any reason to keep these animals in the country.

Deportation is a no-brainer.

A tourist is a person like any other.

Some Phd people coming to Japan on tourist visas.

Man...this story or the comments , is like turning over a rock and seeing spiders flee.

Who knows what darkness lurks in the hearts of men....or at least JT posters.

@Erik Morales

Those Vietnamese targeting expensive bicycle not average bicycle with basket case. They do that more than one time, come to Japan multiple times specifically for that purpose.

Geeter MckluskieToday  06:36 pm JST

Why is it necessary to continue discussing criminal suspects' nationality and the crime rate for certain nationalities?

For one, it highlights issues within a given community. For example,

Tuan Anh, who's been living in Tokyo for 10 years and works at the ASEAN-Japan Center, said the issue is a deep-rooted one, having to do with apprenticeship and unrealistic expectations migrant workers in the country have.

Eighty percent of them had to borrow ¥674,000 (US$4,680) on average to make ends meet in Japan, a Nikkei survey revealed.

But some apprentices, on arriving in Japan and becoming disillusioned with the realities of life, become criminals.

"They would have incurred huge debts to get to Japan, and disillusionment coupled with those debts often lead them down the path of crime," Anh said.

Or we could pretend there's no issue and hide our heads in the sand, rather than acknowledge the root of the issue and overcome it.

Geeter, I appreciate your point about highlighting issues within a community. However, merely naming Vietnamese suspects in a crime report without providing context about their challenges and disillusionment in Japan does not address the root issues. Instead, it just reinforces negative stereotypes and fosters discrimination, making life for Vietnamese even harder than it already is.

If the article really wanted to highlight the struggles of Vietnamese people in Japan, it should talk about the issues they face, like the tough apprenticeship system and financial problems. Just naming suspects by nationality doesn’t solve anything and can make things worse by spreading stereotypes.

Good way to "clear the books " for outstanding thefts reported to the Police.

In NSW Aust., perps can commit /plea to a number of crimes {usually theft or break n enter } which will not increase the sentence length for the original arrest.

Clears the books.

Crime solved.

My mate came to Japan in the early 70's.

He thought the unattended, unlocked bikes were a scheme, similar to Holland, where you could "borrow " a bike .

Nah....

Please take a moment to consider what this kind of comment does to the vast majority of Vietnamese in Japan who are law-abiding and great contributors to Japanese society

It would also behoove the Vietnamese community in Japan...and Japan in general to identify why it is that there is such a high crime rate among Vietnamese nationals...in order for those issues to be addressed and overcome. Ignoring such problems only prove to exacerbate them.

And GO GEETER....keep those bodgy stats coming.

You mean the actual police reports that the Daily Yomiuri published regarding foreign crime in Japan?

What is dodgy about them? Do you suppose they were forged passports?...or that the police recorded false data in order to malign the Vietnamese...

or that you're uncomfortable with the truth?

1/3 of foreign crime committed in Japan is perpetrated by Vietnamese nationals. Does that bother you?

It DOES bother the Vietnamese community. Hence the headline from the article "

"Vietnamese in Japan concerned about compatriots' crimes"

I suggest reading the article for some of the reasons.

At least someone seems concerned enough to address the root of the issue, rather than mewl about the reporting of it.

@therougou the inference is when a criminal steals that is is "JOB" he is considered working so if they went to Japan they went to work "STEAL" in Japan that is their employment they are career thieves that is their line of work. Now ask yourself does crime PAY? No the victims DO!

Well Japan wants to bring people from Vietnam for filling in the unwanted cheap labor jobs and these sort of criminal activities will definitely happen as a result.

where does it say that they work in Japan?

The benefits of exploiting cheap labour coming home to roost. Reap what you sow.

Looks like Vietnam is not bringing their best.

Nine.

Headline from the VN Express...a Vietnamese centred newspaper...

"Vietnamese in Japan concerned about compatriots' crimes"

From the article:

"In 2020 there were around 600 cases of Vietnamese apprentices committing crimes, a 60% increase from the previous year, they said."

"Vietnamese were also involved in 60% of thefts and 35% of brawls involving foreign nationals."

Weird. Vietnamese rarely ever commit any crimes in Japan...

Erik MoralesToday 06:20 am JST

So many Japanese steal bikes but since it’s south East Asians it makes the news…

That's what's done best in this country.

Please take a moment to consider what this kind of comment does to the vast majority of Vietnamese in Japan 

The onus is on the Vietnamese committing crime not to sully the reputation of law abiding Vietnamese, not those reporting those crimes.

Don't shoot the messenger

Well Japan wants to bring people from Vietnam for filling in the unwanted cheap labor jobs and these sort of criminal activities will definitely happen as a result.

Geeter...sorry man....I just read your comment on another topic about the yen.

You mentioned a large house you owned....with blue berry trees/bushes growing.

More grown than you can eat apparently....

Geeter....I love blueberries....can you help a brother out ?