Today the Daily Yomiuri has a cautionary tale for us all…
Yesterday a court in Fukuoka, south Japan, handed down a 200,000 yen fine to a man who shoplifted a 120 yen can of coffee. That’s $2,000+ for a drink worth little more than a buck!
The thirty-six year-old construction worker from Saga prefecture was arrested for slipping the drink into a bag when visiting a convenience store in Fukuoka. Spotted by staff he was apprehended as he tried to make good his escape.
The man had been in the city on business but foolishly spent much of his salary on pachinko. Thirsty yet cashless, he had no choice but to steal!
However, there is a twist. A few years ago the same man had been investigated for possibly shop-lifting vegetables worth at least a few hundred yen. Back then he got off but this time he was caught red-handed. His attempted flight from the scene of his crime was the real clincher, it seems, and led to the harsh conviction.
But still — two thousand dollars plus for a can of coffee?! The Daily Yomiuri notes for that amount — which the man paid immediately — he would have been able to buy over 1,600 cans and drink them one a day, every day for five years. I guess it’s true what they say: Japan is expensive!
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