Police in Sapporo have arrested a 73-year-old man on suspicion of shoplifting from a supermarket on Sunday.
According to Hokkaido Broadcasting Corp, the incident occurred at the supermarket in Higashi Ward at around 5:30 p.m. Police said the man, who lives near the supermarket, took four items ― some pickles, snacks and non-alcohol beer, worth about 1,081 yen ― and walked toward the exit.
A supermarket employee spotted the man and detained him while the store called police.
Police quoted the suspect as saying he had no money and that he took the items because he was hungry.
© Japan Today
15 Comments
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Jonathan Prin
What a shame for society.
In view of his heist, I doubt he wanted to become richer.
Why did the employee not call him and ask him to pay, instead of the firing squad aka police koban officer ?
TrevorPeace
Ten bucks worth of rather unhealthy sustenance? Desperation knows no bounds, and I hate to imply that neither does Japan's social welfare network to drive him to such an act, but truth be told there's something wrong there. Of course it happens where I live too, in a rather nice part of Canada. We're all to blame, I suppose.
Disillusioned
If he was hungry he would have stolen something more substantial than snacks and no alcahol beer. Just an old fella exercising his entitlement.
CaptDingleheimer
How is this national news
poor old fella, hope someone helps himvirusrex
If the claims can be proved I hope the arrest will end up in some kind of support instead of a criminal charge.
sunfunbun
Criminal news in Japan is often about choosing something the government wants people to be warned not to do or be aware of. I don't think there's an inkling of feeling support for the old man, this is news because he's done something wrong in the eyes of this culture.
The connectivity between what a place like NHK puts out there as news and what Japan inc. wants its people to be obedient to is what often drives the subject and choice of what trivial stories are in the media.
A thousand yen shoplift in a population of 100 people wouldn't be news in 99% of the world, much less a country of 125 million.
opheliajadefeldt
I would like to think that if it was me who spotted this man shop lifting for some thing to eat, I would have given him some food, and paid for it. And if I was the store manager, I would do the same.
Zaphod
opheliajadefeldt
Agree in principle, but snacks and beer sounds more like "want to relax" than "hungry".
Sven Asai
Nothing new here, on that whole crazy planet humans fight only or especially the smallest and poorest with full force. It doesn't even make a difference if it's a communist, capitalist or dictatorship system. I've seen enough, really, that whole planet is a mess and it's probably not a too big loss when soon the game is over.
MilesTeg
It was non-alcoholic beer and it was a convenience store. Not as if there's a huge selection of meals. Bentos yes but they're cold and need to be heated up. Maybe he just took those items because he they were the easiest to pocket.
This is why the letter of the law is nonsense and why a good judge takes into account specific circumstances. An old, hungry man with no money.
But some will still try to present people in the most negative light.
Dave Fair
DisillusionedToday 07:20 am JST
Guess if he had stolen a bottle of aojiru and a package of tofu you would have a totally different view of this elderly man, maybe even consider him desperate, not entitled?
kaimycahl
At least the hungry guy didn't harm anyone. He didn't go in with a knife and threatened to kill anyone. He said he was hungry. Desperate times will lead to more crimes!
TaiwanIsNotChina
I wonder whether he was senile and an "escapee" from an old folks home. I have heard of a similar story happening.
GillislowTier
How much time are the Olympic committee members who used tax money to bribe each other to agree to get exclusive contracts for profit getting again?
oh right.