Japanese sword robbery with a blindfolded hat: The decisive factor in his arrest was that the victim “may be an acquaintance” and the purpose may be “for sale or for personal grudge”.

‘Possibly personal trouble’

The man, tanned and wearing glasses with fashionable frames, walked out of the Nerima police station with a firm gait – and he was arrested on suspicion of robbing a Japanese sword.

On May 16, Yutaka Kobayashi, 58, and two others broke into an apartment in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, by prying open the door with a crowbar. They were arrested on suspicion of assaulting a male resident in the room, including hitting him on the head, and taking two Japanese swords (worth 200,000 yen).

The male victim and the suspect, Kobayashi, were acquaintances and had visited the room and knew that the Japanese swords were there. When he broke into the victim’s house, the suspect was wearing a balaclava to hide his face, but the male victim noticed him.

Speaking of Japanese sword thefts, in ’18, more than a dozen swords were stolen from a house in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2011, a Japanese-style chest containing seven Japanese swords (worth a total of 20 million yen) was stolen from the home of a male doctor living in the city of Kataoka, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The thieves’ purpose is believed to be to buy and sell, but if they are traded or given away behind the scenes, the chances of finding them are extremely low.

There was also an incident in which a stolen Japanese sword was returned to its hometown 30 years later.

In 1986, a Japanese sword “Bishu Osafunezumimotoshige” was stolen from the Sakai family, the former lord of the Shonai Domain, and its whereabouts were announced by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in January 2003.

The thief was caught and Yoshimitsu was bought back by the Chido Museum (Tsuruoka City, Yamagata) in 1999, but Motoshige was repeatedly resold and his whereabouts were unknown for a long time. In 2002, his whereabouts were discovered, but the Civil Code stipulates that a claim for free restitution must be made within two years of the theft. Moreover, the price was 100 million yen, so the Sakai family gave up on trying to buy it back. A private collector, with the consent of the Sakai family, bought it back and exhibited it at a special exhibition held at the Chido Museum in September 2003, marking its first return to Japan in 30 years.

However, crime journalist Taihei Ogawa believes that “this incident was not for the purpose of buying and selling.

When you possess a Japanese sword, you need a registration certificate issued by the prefectural board of education. This registration certificate is also required when buying or selling, so stolen swords cannot be sold or bought through regular channels.

In this case, the perpetrator was an acquaintance and the swords he stole were not very expensive. Given this, I feel that personal troubles are involved. Since this is a robbery charge that caused injury to the other party, there is a good chance that he will be sentenced to at least four years in prison. I think it’s very likely.”

Kobayashi reportedly denies the charges , saying he did not commit the robbery.