Is a pickpocket ring behind this? “Please give me the lightest possible sentence”—the rambling remarks of a Chinese man in court

“I came to see the cherry blossoms.”

The trial of Tao Wensheng (57), a Chinese national charged with theft and other offenses for allegedly stealing a wallet from a woman’s bag on a JR Yamanote Line train, was held on June 4 at the Tokyo District Court.

According to the indictment, in March of this year, Tao allegedly stole a wallet from a woman’s bag while on a train traveling between Shibuya and Ebisu.

“Tao and another man were arrested in the act. They had divided their roles, with the other man acting as a lookout while Tao stole the wallet from the woman’s bag.”In recent years, pickpockets posing as Chinese tourists have been rampant in downtown tourist areas. In May, a Chinese man and woman were arrested for stealing a wallet from a tourist’s backpack on Nakamise Street in Asakusa (Taito Ward), Tokyo, and we believe a Chinese pickpocket ring is behind these incidents,” said an investigative source.

Defendant Tao appeared in court wearing a worn khaki T-shirt and navy chinos. The deep wrinkles etched into his face and his thinning hairline made him look older than his actual age, but he remained completely expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

The hearing proceeded through an interpreter, beginning with questions from the defense attorney. When asked about the reason for his visit to Japan, he replied, “It was for sightseeing. I came to see the cherry blossoms.” Regarding his motive for the crime,

“I acted on impulse. I did a stupid thing,”

, expressing remorse. In response, he was asked, “You say it was impulsive, but another man has also been arrested,” to which he replied, “There are no accomplices, ” flatly denying any premeditation.

“In subsequent questioning, Defendant Tao spoke of his unfortunate upbringing. Born into a poor family, he was too busy herding cattle and doing household chores to attend school. As a result, he reportedly still cannot read or write.

His income consists of about 2.4 million yen annually from renting out a house he owns in China, plus about 60,000 yen per month in government subsidies. With a total of about 3.1 million yen, so his life is by no means affluent. However, since he claims to have visited Japan four times for tourism, it is unclear how much of what he says is true,” said a reporter from the social affairs section of a national newspaper.

When asked what he would do if released on bail,

“I’ll buy my own ticket and go home. I’ve done something like this, so I can’t show my face in Japan. I’m truly sorry,”

he repeated his apology.

“Please give me the lightest possible sentence.”

During the subsequent questioning by the prosecution, suspect Tao—who maintained that the crime was spontaneous—drew suspicion by repeatedly giving inconsistent answers.When the prosecution pointed out to the defendant—who claimed to have come to Japan alone—that “perhaps another man was acting in concert with you?” Tao denied this, saying, “No.” Regarding his motive for the crime,

“I lost my mind and couldn’t think straight,”

and other vague statements.

“At the time of the crime, Defendant Tao was carrying a black tote bag, which he used to cover the woman’s bag and steal her wallet.Objectively speaking, the premeditation is clear, but when the prosecution pressed him, asking, ‘Didn’t you carry the tote bag specifically to pickpocket?’ he denied it with a ‘No’ without changing his expression. I got the impression that he seemed accustomed to this kind of exchange,” said the reporter mentioned earlier.

Finally, the judge asked a question. Regarding the fact that the defendant, Tao, had been staying at a massage parlor, when asked why he stayed there, he replied, “Because I can’t read.” When the judge, looking suspicious, asked, “How did you know it was a massage parlor if you can’t read?” he stated, “There was a sign.”

When further asked if one could actually stay overnight at a massage parlor, he repeated puzzling answers such as, “If you negotiate, it’s possible.” Regarding the fact that, despite claiming he couldn’t read, he frequently traveled by train as if he were thoroughly familiar with the downtown route map,

“I ask people and they tell me. I have a translation tool on my cell phone,”

When asked if he had any final remarks,

“Please give me the lightest possible punishment,”

, asking for leniency. The prosecution pointed out that he had been traveling with another man and had engaged in suspicious behavior, such as changing trains multiple times on the day of the crime. Citing “suspected habitual behavior,” they sought a sentence of one year and six months in prison.

Despite living in poverty, he traveled around Japan as a tourist, and despite being unable to read, he frequently transferred trains—the inconsistency between his statements and his actions remained unresolved until the very end. The verdict will be handed down on June 17.