Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
Police in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward have arrested an unemployed 26-year-old man on suspicion of attempted robbery after he tried to rob two convenience stores on Sunday.
Police said the suspect, Takayuki Kawashima, has admitted to the charge and quoted him as saying that he had until Monday to pay the rent on his apartment or he would be evicted, Fuji TV reported.
According to police, Kawashima went into a FamilyMart store just before 1 a.m. Sunday, threatened the 33-year-old clerk with a knife and demanded money. However, the employee pressed an alarm button and Kawashima fled.
About seven minutes later, Kawashima went into another FamilyMart store 500 meters away and again threatened the 35-year-old clerk there with a knife. The employee used a mop to knock the knife out of Kawashima’s hand and he ran out of the store.
A police patrol, alerted after the first robbery attempt, detained Kawashima about 600 meters from the second FamilyMart store.
© Japan Today
16 Comments
Login to comment
ADK99
Hat's off to the Family Mart staff, especially the one wielding the mop!
Toasted Heretic
The desperation of poverty.
Goodlucktoyou
unemployed huh. every combini i go to has adverts for staff. they are desperate for staff. why doesn't he work and then pay rent?
theFu
Isn't being convicted of a crime is one way to get "free rent"?
smithinjapan
And in a predictable twist of irony in being caught he gets rent for free.
borscht
Free rent. In Jail. Obviously no one who has been in jail would consider it 'free.' He was definitely desperate, that's for sure. Too bad he couldn't, for whatever reason, find a job.
Melissa Shimosato
Is there a social services department for the unemployed? He should have went there for help instead of trying to rob..
Maria
Too many people are only a handful of pay cheques away from homelessness, and it can happen to you too.
I hope you all have enough money to tide you over in a similar scenario of unemployment, and nobody to bail you out.
That said, I wouldn't go wandering around with a knife. But I have never, luckily, been that desperate, so I don't know.
drlucifer
Social services are very harsh especially to those who quit their job on their own and beside you
get some meagre sum for atmost 3 or 4 months for those who had worked for less than 20years.
Borscht, with the slave wages here, you can hold a job and still be unable to pay rents. You will
have to work at least 2 jobs or very long hours to be able to pay rent, utilities and feeding on
900yen/hour.
That is the harsh reality of most part timers in Japan. Koizumi created more damage than one
could ever imagine. There are plenty of night jobs 10pm to 6pm out there for less 1200yen/hr.
Aly Rustom
So true. Spot on drlucifer
Alphaape
My question, why are there two Family Marts within 500 meters of each other?
Having worked fast food when I was a youngster, the main thing to do in the event of a robbery was to just give it to them. The money can be replaced, but not one's life.
serendipitous1
1000/hr = 8,000/day = 40,000/week = 160,000/mth minus a bit of tax.
Cheap apartments can be had for 50,000/mth or even less. Not luxury living but possible to live on if that's the best you can do.
drlucifer
serendipitous1, a little bit of tax is which taxes and how much is it ?
8,000/day can as well be 7,000/day. if you factor in lunch break which doesn't count.
FYI, expenditure doesn't start and end with rents.
serendipitous1
Yes, it's tight but do-able if you have to. This guy tried to take the easy (but stupid) way out.
pacint
Very tight as often you will also have to figure in commute, etc.
Not easy to find work at a combini or other place as they want experience, under 30-35, etc.
Many jobs are also not open to males, etc.
Combini work is not a really liveable wage but more supplemental for students/housewifes.
Social welfare pays around 130.000/month with 100% free medical.
since1981
Dude, You're 26!!!! Get off you lazy a** and get a job! Washing dishes and mopping floors are much better than prison!! May not be glorified jobs but at least they'll keep you honest.