Panties stolen from man in Nagoya by male/female team of thieves

You just can't make this stuff up.

Probably the most bizarre headline I've read for a long time.

This is going to be the "only happens in Japan" headline around the world for the near future.

Oh my. :)

For those who's not Japanese, "panty" refers to men's brief in American English.

This is not a case of thieves stealing a dude's women's panty collection.

the panties will be returned to their rightful owner once they’re no longer needed as evidence in the case.

Alright! Just uh......just gonna file this under uhh......"WTH" for future reference!

Like seriously! Who would happily take them back? I know they said the owner would most likely not want them back, but the fact that that option was available?

This is going to be the "only happens in Japan" headline around the world for the near future.

Mate, Olympics in an exploding mutating pandemic will probably bet panties, hands down.

Another fascinating, informative and insightful article from SoraNews.

Gender equality a little bit misunderstood....lol

4500 yens only.

How long did it take them to assess to that special price ?

My dozen knickers are worth way more than that, if washed ;)

Learning thieves for sure.

For those who's not Japanese, "panty" refers to men's brief in American English.

Thanks, @Samit Basu, but North American English is my native tongue, and if a man in the U.S. ever referred to the panties he was wearing, he’d be laughed out of the room and reminded of it for years to come.

Please check an American English dictionary like Merriam-Webster or American Heritage to confirm.

Samit is correct. He was not saying that the word "panty" in English means men's briefs. He was saying that Japanese often refer to men's briefs as "panties".

My wife does it all the time, no matter how often I correct her.

Really bizarre but very entertaining to read. Definitely only in Japan. Maybe he was planning to replace them with a new set of panties like that thief who loved sniffing old shoes.

Sora news needs to get a Pulitzer.

The trick is to get the knickers in a twist.

Oh Japan! Never a dull day. I understand every word in the article but have no idea whatsoever what really happened or why.

@Samit Basu

For those who's not Japanese, "panty" refers to men's brief in American English.

Did you mean in Japanese? That’s most certainly not the meaning in American English. I’m American, and as Gwylly said, it most certainly is NOT used to mean men’s briefs. :)

@GaryPen

Samit is correct. He was not saying that the word "panty" in English means men's briefs. He was saying that Japanese often refer to men's briefs as "panties".

He clearly wrote “in American English.”

And besides, I don’t think that’s what it means in Japanese either. My Japanese husband just laughed and said no when I double checked with him. “panties” refers to women’s underwear in both American English and Japanese.

One might expect that Mori’s crime was the result of his infatuation with a woman who lived in the house, but according to police reports the sole occupant of the home is a 37-year-old man. In another unexpected twist, Mori’s accomplice in pulling off the panty raid, who has also been arrested, is a woman in her 20s.

What?? I tried to come with with a funny comment, but I don´t think I can top the article as it is.....

He clearly wrote “in American English.”

Yes. "Men's brief" in American English. Not "panty".

Pretty clearly, indeed.

Yes, Lunatics come in all shapes and colors.

It’s likely, though, that after several months in the thief’s possession, the owner would rather just replace the lingerie, especially since, according to police estimates, the total market value of the 34 pairs of panties is a mere 4,500 yen.

If, indeed, the translator meant 'panties' as understood in Amerilish (sorry...), the above sentence from the article is "just adorable". What is it about news in Japan that causes me to suspect that "market value" was NOT the main concern of this 'collector'. Yeah, I know it's presumptive but this story did not gain national attention because no one else had such thoughts... this whole 'panties' thing for so many men is so sad it's absolutely hilarious...y'know, ya just feel so bad for the people stuck in that kind of behavior but it is sooo paralyzingly silly just thinking about it creates a contant, almost compulsive laugh...oh no, I HAVE TO turn the page or I'll suffocate...this one got me somehow...

Thanks, @Samit Basu, but North American English is my native tongue, and if a man in the U.S. ever referred to the panties he was wearing, he’d be laughed out of the room and reminded of it for years to come.

Ever hear of Manties, lol?

http://www.manties.net/?vm=r

So much less trouble overall to just order what you want on-line and have it delivered. No risk, no drama. Some people just have no judgement.

Years and years ago I had my underwear stolen off the lines. Just the underwear. Shirts, trousers and socks left alone. I was on the first floor, which made the theft easy.

I told the story to my next door neighbor, a professor of French. He said this had happened many times before in our apartment buildings. He said a colleague of his heard someone making noises on the balcony. The colleague was sure it was the underwear thief but he did not was to draw the curtain in case the culprit was a fellow professor.