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Around 600 apples have been stolen from trees planted on the grounds of Kake High School Geihoku in Hiroshima.
Local media reported the trees were tended to by the high school students with help from local residents. It is unclear when the apples were actually stolen, but their theft was reported on Sept 11.
The stolen apples were nearly ripe for picking.
Footprints and tire tracks were found around the base of the trees. The police are investigation the perpetrators' whereabouts by looking into channels through which the apples may have been sold.
© Japan Today
14 Comments
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Nippori Nick
Pretty low down to steal those apples.
But then again, apples in Japan are expensive, so I suppose some criminal type figures it was easy money.
Do the hustle
This is a surprisingly common kind of theft in Japan.
Goodlucktoyou
Desperate times for low level wanna be yaks. Sometimes see them selling them.
Kapuna
This should be easy, look for someone selling apples really cheap.
Aaron Brummett
I assess it was a high school student.s.
Why? Because "apples" are very popular is a high school related anime, Death Note!
ebisen
That's heartless... Kids were supposed to get the apples for their lunch,I guess.
oyatoi
When even わけあり blemished apples can be over 100円 each, “discounted” from the regular price of 160-240 円, it should come as no surprise when the have nots take matters into their own hands. The inability of Japan to ensure the availability of reasonably priced fruit and vegetables for millions of its citizens is a sad indictment and such incidents would happen far less if apples and all the rest were sold at a price that the multitudes who subsist below the poverty line could afford.
Serrano
I hope the thieves get caught, get slapped upside the head by the students, reimburse the students for the loss, and on top of that provide the students with an apple a day for the coming year.
Silvafan
Well, we read a couple of months back that the yakuza was resorting to stealing food on farms to make money. I wonder if this is their handy work.
bjohnson23
Unbelievable, all that hard work in maintaining and care for someone to stoop this low and order such an act. Lessons learned that you can't trust anyone even more today. When crimes of thief turn towards food, then two things are wrong, one is that the supply and demand is there but the costs are too high for consumers, which leads to theft, and two, it's much more profitable to steal the merchandise than to get a job because again the profits are higher and more marginable. This is something that the Ministry should look into is price gouging for an apple. Of course from there comes what drives the high price of this product, the costs associated to produce or the greed of the apple farmer, not necessarily tied to demand.
TrevorPeace
I have to agree with @oyatoi. Apples where I live (BC, Canada) cost anywhere from 120 yen to 160 yen a pound (about half a kilo) and the last time I was in Japan (autumn, 2017, I traveled to 'apple country' (Aomori and neighboring prefectures) and was appalled at the price extorted from Japanese people for a really simple fruit. Open up the damn import tariffs and regulations, and price them so people can afford them!
oldfordmangaijin
@TrevorPeace We love our Japanese apples up here in Aomori. They cost extra because they taste better!