Police have arrested an elderly man for the heinous crime of picking 7 cherries from a tree, charging him with theft in a crime so shocking it was reported in Japan’s major newspapers and on TV.
The 66-year-old man was spotted one afternoon in Yamagata prefecture picking cherries from a tree in a field by a 64-year-old agricultural worker in a neighbouring field.
She called police, who came rushing to the scene. Upon questioning he admitted picking 7 cherries from the tree, worth a total of ¥200, and was promptly arrested for theft.
He claimed he “ate them because I was hungry.” The 69-year-old owner of the field says that “this year was a poor harvest, so each cherry is precious, but it’s also quite sad if he did this because he was hungry.”
Online there is some debate as to which is more amazing – that police went to the trouble of arresting him, that a crime of this scope found its way into the national media, that they felt the need to report his name (curiously recent cases of shoplifting teachers and police escaped this honour), or that 7 cherries cost all of ¥200.
…just….what the HELL Japan?
At least the police didn’t have to solve a gruesome murder with the possibility or more innocents being killed.
The police seem to be cherry picking here. Shouldn’t they arrest themselves.
The media was in the right for printing it because what is really retarded is the police arresting this guy. Well I be he is not hungry any more. Enjoy the food.
well,it’s like the cashier that was all over Germans newspapers and news because she peculated a bottle deposit-coupon worth like 2$(1 Euro 30 Cents) and was fired for it.
Because the punishment/eagerness to to punish such bagatelles is so high in this cases is why they find their ways into all the mass media. If the man did just have to pay a fine I’m sure it wouldn’t be this spectacular, the secret to publicity is the disproportionality between action and reaction!