Man dressed as woman arrested for shoplifting in Ikebukuro

Tuesday 13th January, 03:57 AM JST

TOKYO —

A 55-year-old man dressed up as a woman was arrested on Saturday, accused of stealing goods worth about 3,500 yen from a shop in the Ikebukuro PARCO department store, police said Monday. According to police, Toshikazu Miyoshi was shopping in the Ikebukuro store on Saturday morning wearing make-up, a wig, sunglasses, shoulder pads, a skirt and boots. A female security staff member saw Miyoshi put a hat, a pair of tweezers and a pencil in his pocket, and called out to him as he was about to leave the store without paying for the goods.

Miyoshi fled into the women’s toilets, and the security staff continued to call out to him. Miyoshi then rushed out of the toilets but the security officer caught him by the sleeve. In the scuffle, his coat and wig came off, and Miyoshi ran away. The security officer was not injured and told police she did not know the shoplifter was a man until the wig fell off.

Police found Miyoshi’s cell phone in the pocket of the coat he left behind, and arrested him at his apartment in Nakano Ward about three hours later. Miyoshi had removed the make-up and female attire, and admitted to the theft. He said: “I like dressing up as a woman, but I didn’t want to get caught like that. It’s embarrassing.”

News reports

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 26 Total Comments Show All

oreoreda at 08:38 PM JST - 12th January

I once saw a chap in my local Akafudado doing his grocery shopping wearing high heels, a rather revealing one-piece dress, a cute little hat and a day's stubble. He wasn't bothering anyone; and he paid up at the till.
borscht at 09:10 PM JST - 12th January

Odd that his job title wasn't included in the description. I guess he isn't employed by a city government, the national government, a major player (Toyota et al), or Keio University.
PaizuriSan at 09:36 PM JST - 12th January

Kawaiso!
jwills79 at 10:15 PM JST - 12th January

I see a lot in Roppongi.
JeromeInJapan at 12:29 AM JST - 13th January

Hat... tweezers... pencil... Reminds me of that extremely resourceful secret agent named MACGYVER!
ca1ic0cat at 03:20 AM JST - 13th January

you just can't fit much in an A cup bra.
kokuryu at 05:49 AM JST - 13th January

Good story! A very human one in the end. The guy only ran away because he was embarassed. I guess he was too shy to go to the register to actually buy the items.
Sidwarwick at 07:55 AM JST - 13th January

I hope the police gave him a good dressing down.
bushlover at 08:09 AM JST - 13th January

Younger generations please take note. This kind of stress relief can be forgiven and is relatively harmless. ... except for the stealing part.
dave86 at 08:22 AM JST - 13th January

Aaah, I wish this site had more pictures with its stories, this one would have been gold.
JOKERXJOKER at 09:49 AM JST - 13th January

..fugly just want to get some attention...hahaha
Weasel at 12:59 PM JST - 13th January

Guess you know who was the last to watch the old video from Jane's Addiction, "Been caught stealing."
dennis0bauer at 03:34 PM JST - 13th January

better plan next time
BBLeo at 05:38 PM JST - 13th January

“I like dressing up as a woman, but I didn’t want to get caught like that. It’s embarrassing.” His talent is as a thief, and his words are only excuse. It is different if he was just walking around as woman instead of stealing goods. He need shrink to have a chat with him. And please get him female shrink she will understand him better. What color if lipstick ha had? And were shoe high hill?
Latenights at 07:39 PM JST - 13th January

BBLeo

Sorry, mate, he has no talent as a thief: he got caught. A female shrink would only "understand him better" if she were also a cross-dressing, incompetent shoplifter. A cautionary note for others considering relieving their stress in public: either dress to turn heads or seek to be inconspicuous when committing petty crimes, you can't do both!