<figure id="attachment_465836" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-465836" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6f431d4c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/7601306f3528cd699959059a07f6628b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-465836" class="wp-caption-text">A Vietnamese male in his early 20s who attended a Japanese language school was taught how to shoplift, and the products and colors were also specified&#8230;. It is believed that he conspired with his fellow students to repeatedly shoplift and send the merchandise back to his home country.</figcaption></figure>
<h2> In search of &#8220;Made in Japan</h2>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Most shoplifting by foreigners is organized. The perpetrators receive lectures in their home countries on how to identify stores with lax surveillance and come to Japan in advance. They are instructed by their handlers on the colors and sizes of popular items to steal, and then commit the crime. Even if the same product is sold in their home country, if it is labeled &#8220;Made in Japan,&#8221; it will fetch a premium and sell for a higher price.</span></p>
<p> Yu Ito, a &#8220;shoplifting G-man,&#8221; who has caught as many as 6,000 thieves over the past 25 years, explains.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> The above photo shows a shoplifter nodding his head in front of a product. The man nodding in front of the merchandise is a Vietnamese man in his early 20s. He was trying to hide condoms, razor blades, and other items with toilet paper and take them out of a supermarket in Tokyo. Mr. Ito continued.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> When I called out to him because he was acting suspiciously, the man fled and I subdued him. It is said that he kept the stolen goods in his apartment in Tokyo and sent them to Vietnam when he had a large number. The man was a student at a Japanese language school. It seems that he received orders from his instructor in his home country and repeatedly shoplifted goods for the purpose of resale.</span></p>
<p> According to the National Police Agency, the number of crimes committed by foreigners in Japan had been declining after peaking at 47,865 in 2005. However, in the past three years, the number has been on the rise again, and last year the number of crimes committed by foreigners in Japan increased 16.9% from the previous year to 25,480. The most common type of crime is theft (12,226 cases), which accounts for nearly 70% of the total. Shoplifting is also expensive. The average price for a Japanese perpetrator is about 10,000 yen, while the average price for a foreigner is nearly 90,000 yen.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Recently, we have been seeing a lot of &#8216;gift shoplifting. They steal expensive perfumes and cosmetics, and when caught, they make excuses such as &#8216;I wanted to give a present to my special partner, but I didn&#8217;t have the money,&#8217; in an attempt to lure sympathy from the victim. After they are caught, their reactions are varied. Some women hold the hands of police officers and beg for forgiveness in a &#8220;sexy manner,&#8221; while other men push shopkeepers away and go on a rampage,&#8221; says Ito.</span></p>
<p> Another characteristic of recent foreign shoplifters is that they often play multiple roles, such as the perpetrator and the person who attracts the attention of the store clerk. Aiming at &#8220;Made in Japan,&#8221; foreign criminal groups are diversifying their tactics.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_465837" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-465837" style="width: 1880px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cb3da796"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/306fd08050b47f4f51dd73878b9a99e0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-465837" class="wp-caption-text"> A Vietnamese woman in her late teens holding a policeman&#8217;s hand. She had come to Japan to study abroad. Shoplifting fruits and other items. She held the hands of police officers and store clerks, leaned toward them and asked for forgiveness.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_465838" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-465838" style="width: 1883px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="1aadc145"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/b4c103e4c97d8dc369cd3f936059b13d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-465838" class="wp-caption-text"> Kneeling on his knees, the Korean man in his late 40s said, &#8220;Let me go. When Mr. Ito said he would call the police, he got down on his knees and begged them to let him go.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_465839" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-465839" style="width: 2119px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7b720f20"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/cb9998737780bb89556b047e36a51b68.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-465839" class="wp-caption-text"> Stealing meat of your choice&#8230;A Brazilian woman in her early 40s who tried to steal a large amount of meat in a bag. She admitted the crime and said, &#8220;I&#8217;ll buy, I&#8217;ll buy&#8221;</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_465840" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-465840" style="width: 2005px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f9463050"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/40a27e115d510a537134244c280be8a9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-465840" class="wp-caption-text"> Ukrainian woman&#8230;A Ukrainian woman in her late 30s shoplifted chocolates, gummies, and other confectionery items. She was a Japanese teacher in her home country.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_465841" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-465841" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a4119a9f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/9810f727613e8c6444cc1fd725c8225b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-465841" class="wp-caption-text"> A family affair&#8230;Shoplifting by a Sri Lankan family. A Sri Lankan family shoplifts from a self-checkout machine by hiding the barcode and pretending to be paying for the items, and steals eggs and other items.</figcaption></figure>
<p> From the May 1-8, 2026 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY</p>


 Courtesy of Mr. Ito

 Yu Ito, a shoplifting G-man, explains the increasing number of "foreign shoplifters. Many foreign shoplifters are organized, and their methods are becoming more diversified, targeting "Made in Japan" because of the premiums attached to labels made in Japan.

The last 3 years are on the rise again…The latest “foreign shoplifting” busts ″Shocking Photos″.

Access Ranking