Teacher arrested for stealing woman's wallet while on train

It probably made the news because this was a teacher - someone supposedly in a position of trust.

True, Fadamor, but even though it was a teacher, if it occured in a country like the U.S., it wouldn't make the evening news at all. I mean, in Japan, it's quite common to hear about on local TV news stations about your average Taro's house getting burglarized (even when no one was hurt, or no weapon used), or a fight breaking out between two people, ending with one being sent to the hospital with major injuries. I remember a friend of mine who was assaulted by a gang and had to be sent to the hospital with a broken jaw and other multiple injuries, but I never saw anything about it on the news.

We had one like that here who for 20 years preyed on boys

That sounds like an entirely different case. In the story above, I sincerely doubt the woman he stole the wallet from even knew he was a teacher, so it is not an issue of broken trust. Besides, "a teacher" is only one of many occupations which could be deemed a "position of trust". Doctors, nurses, lawyers, politicians, firefighters, civil servants, police officers, managers, train conductors, actors, news correspondents, and bus drivers are just a handful of positions. In fact, just about anyone with a full-time job position commands a certain level of "trust" from people.

It probably made the news because this was a teacher - someone supposedly in a position of trust. We had one like that here who for 20 years preyed on boys... even at least one in Japan when he was working there as an English teacher. He got caught this spring and is now facing not only state charges, but federal child pornography charges because he took pictures of the boys undressed after he got them so drunk they passed out. The sicko had photo albums and journals describing his conquests, even going so far as comparing a boy's "performance" with previous ones.

A position of trust that in the end was thouroughly taken advantage of. So you're going to see lots of cop and teacher stories when they turn bad. It sells papers.

Wow. Only in Japan would something like this make the news. Simple robberies, muggings, and burglaries often don't even make the local news back home.

A real opportunist. A professional waits until the train stops, takes the wallet, gets out and immediately takes the money and throws the wallet under the train.

I have wondered since I came to Japan that there is no epidemic of pick pockets as people seemingly just don't care about their valuables; it looks more like an invitation to take ...

HAZUREY !! This man forgot to watch zodiac prediction in television morning show. He must be banging his head on the wall now.

Man, I am not sure where you guys live, but no one snitches or tells on anyone over here. Hell, the JP are worthless and will only do something if there is a yen in it for them. Good on that guy for holding that dude up for stealing that ladies wallet.

On a side note, it never ceases to amaze me at how Japanese religiously snitch on each other. I think their snitch culture deters a lot of crime that would occur otherwise.

I'm glad the Japanese don't have this BS "no snitching" rule that is forced on us back in America. Growing up we were taught that a snitch is "the lowest form of life", when in reality the rule was used as a cover for thieves and lazy people.

This guy sounds like a real idiot! Hopefully he will never be allowed to teach anywhere in Japan to make him the poster boy for DAME NA SENSEI, Bad Teachers! Good on the person who yelled at him on the train and helped get this idiot teacher arrested!

Wow. Middle School teachers make that much, huh?

"Who knows? Maybe to a teacher 3000 yen was a fortune!"

Not in Japan. The average salary for a teacher in Japan hovers at around 6 million yen (US$69,000) per year, including bonuses. A 44-year-old would be mid-career, putting him or her very close to that figure, so I can't imagine money being the real impetus for trying to lift this woman's wallet. A thrill crime? Kleptomania?

In any case, he's obviously not too bright.

@american bengoshi... I can't tell if that is a negative or positive comment. I hope positive.

Have to wonder how many wallets he's stolen.

Who knows? Maybe to a teacher 3000 yen was a fortune!

Come on. How did he know it would only be 3000 yen?

You hear every week were some old broad has her bag snatched with 500,000 yen and people comment how she was carrying to much. Now it's to little?

Pick one and stick with it!

CapnSinbad, this is a theft crime common all over the world. Dont see how your point would be more or less valid in specific to Japan as compared to other nations like Denmark or the US for that matter. You have lots of people also in most other countries who steal even though they dont need to. Its called being a cleptomaniac, and it occurs frequently in nations whether they are full of regulations or being pretty liberal.

What this reveals is that he indeed a pathetic fellow, accent on the pathos. These people's lives are so ruled and regimented that they actually take advantage of the ample opportunity there is here to perform an illegal act out of sheer wish fulfillment. Even cops have been ensnared here by the flimsiest of temptations due the intense boredom of their daily existences. They actually perform these acts out of a sense of bored naughtiness, anything to make them feel different from their tedious lives. The act itself is inevitable, it's only a matter of time. Are we so different ? Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

Stupid fellow !

3000 yen... what an idiot.

The guy is a total loser and I'm thrilled that he got caught.

On a side note, it never ceases to amaze me at how Japanese religiously snitch on each other. I think their snitch culture deters a lot of crime that would occur otherwise.

Or maybe just a total idiot. I am glad that he got caught.

thepro, it doesn't specify the gender of the passenger doing the restraining - I assumed male when reading it.

what a loser

Wow! Made it to 44 years old without getting caught. Now he loses his 6 million yen job for 3000 yen. Maybe a klepto.

I like how in these stories a woman often restrains a man until police arrive. How on Earth are they restraining them?

LOL, 3,000 yen.