A 69-year-old man has been arrested for stealing melons from a farm in Hokota, Ibaraki Prefecture.
According to police, the man was captured on a CCTV camera on June 26, entering a greenhouse twice to steal 30 melons with a combined value of 60,000 yen, Fuji TV reported.
A police search of the man's home found a total of 79 melons in his possession. Police are investigating the possibility that the man had also stolen fruit from other properties.
© Japan Today
52 Comments
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Opinionhated
Ahem, the melons were not worth 60, 000 yen. That was just their intended selling price. Its a big difference. At best they might have been worth 6,000 yen, assuming an actual value of 200 yen a piece.
Ben Jack
The intended selling price is the value of the item. If someone's steals a car off a lot with a selling price on it, the article would have used that price as its value.
waltery
Probably suffering from Meloncoly.
combinibento
He stole them and planned to sell them for money because he is too poor and can't alope with his new wife, according to news reports.
CrazyJoe
The type of melon he stole is called a kiss me melon. (キスミーメロン) a premium variety.
nath
Oh, honey, do!
cechanju
Very glad to see some of the fruit thieves being nabbed.
marcels
Maybe he had a melon fetish!!!
silvertongue
I think his wife meant something different when she requested nice melons as a wedding gift!
Christina O'Neill
Unfair that he should steal the fruits of someone elses labour
smithinjapan
Sorry, but NO melon is worth 60,000 yen.
Ben Jack
How about 30?
smithinjapan
Ben Jack: 30 melons aren't worth 60,000 either. 30 melons, regardless of quality, SHOULD equal about $60, max.
gogogo
Melons in Japan are way overpriced.
Jonathan Hunt
Who says you get to dictate the price of melons? If you think they're overpriced, don't buy them.
Ben Jack
Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 2,000 yen melons are sold in Japan all the time. In fact, some are sold for much more than that. I know you have been in Japan long enough to know this.
While some, especially those from other countries, may consider them expensive, the quality and taste of these melons is generally quite good. The taste of a melon that is one tenth the price is certainly not as good, in my opinion, of course.
Bluebris
The people charging those prices are the real criminals here....but if people are willing to pay through the nose for overpriced, average fruit....
smithinjapan
Ben Jack: "Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it."
And hence price-jacking, since people here are willing to pay a ridiculously large amount of money for something that is totally not worth it. It's called stupidity. Yes, I know that melons like the first harvested in Yubari will sometimes fetch up to 200,000, but that does not in any way mean they are worth it intrinsically. Someone simply wants to say they were the ones to buy the first melons from the town that is the deepest in debt in Japan, because someone a long time ago told the people so.
"While some, especially those from other countries, may consider them expensive, the quality and taste of these melons is generally quite good."
Not so good as to cost what they do. What's more, on a couple of variety shows they rounded up a bunch of 'tarento' and had them taste test melon from Yubari and a typical melon from elsewhere (that cost about 800 yen) and 90% of the celebs didn't know the difference (they also tasted crab from Hokkaido vs. the 120 yen 'crab flavoured' pollock and again more than half didn't know the difference). You tell people in Japan that A is worth so much and they'll buy it, literally.
In this case the guy stole them. For what purpose, since it was so many, I don't know, though I would guess to try and sell them. Is there a black market for expensive melons?
Ben Jack
smithinjapan,
Why? Respectfully, there are lots of melons on sale in Japan that are only a couple of hundred yen. You are free to buy those, if you want.
DentShop
Nice.
Not too bad.
I like it.
I see what you did there - sweet
nath
The aged in this country are almost comedic. Stealing melons, punching motorists and hijacking cars while claiming they own the road, most being walking traffic disasters waiting to happen... The song "Who Let The Dogs Out" comes to mind.
Herve Nmn L'Eisa
Can't blame the guy. He's just following the wealth-redistributive principle. It's a practical application of socialism. He probably claims that the revenue from the sale of said melons would go toward reducing the national debt or to the pension system.
smithinjapan
Ben Jack: "Why? Respectfully, there are lots of melons on sale in Japan that are only a couple of hundred yen. You are free to buy those, if you want."
Because it's stupid to pay 200,000 for a melon (or two), that's why. What does it accomplish except lining the pockets of some uppity government subsidized farmer? I'd rather buy the 300 yen melon and give the remaining 199,700 to people suffering in Tohoku -- at least that's practical. Hell, I'd even send them the melon in lieu of eating it myself.
Dennis Bauer
a megameloniac? that are some pricy melon's
smithinjapan
Johnathan: "Smith, I wouldn't trust Rob Dyrdek, New York and Kim Kardashian to tell me which melon tastes better. Why would you trust the Japanese version?"
So whom do you trust to tell you? I trust myself, and I've tasted a piece of melon that cost 200,000 and let me tell you it tasted no different than one that cost three bucks, but the people around me who also tasted it closed their eyes, chewed for a moment, and uttered the mandatory "oishii!" simply because they were told it was a better tasting melon.
No, I certainly don't rely on celebrities to tell me what is delicious, and actually you prove my point where I said they were just as duped as your average citizen into thinking 'expensive' = 'delicious'. Never in my life have I heard people describe 'expensive' as a positive meaning adjective. Thank you, but I stand by my comment that spending thousands on a melon is simply stupid. This guy stealing them is even dumber.
DentShop
meh
Ben Jack
As the famous Mr. Gump says, "Stupid is as stupid does." If someone wants to use their honestly earned money to buy something expensive, no matter how expensive, that is there concern. No one is forced to buy the expensive ones.
Farming is dying art in Japan. Nothing wrong with propping it up a bit. Personally, I generally like the local produce. Anyway, Japan still imports quite a lot of their food.
Arguably, practical and absolutely kind. However, that is your choice, as it should be.
Elbuda Mexicano
Kiss Me Melon?? Nice name! But at 2,000 yen per melon how about Kiss my ass Melon! I aint paying no 2,000 yen for a crappy melon!
Thomas Anderson
So he's saying that it's stupid... not wrong.
Thomas Anderson
And the fact that someone could sell a melon for 200,000 yen is questionable... Now THAT could be wrong. What could you possibly do to a melon that would end up costing 200,000 yen?
gogogo
@Jonathan Hunt: I don't buy them for that very reason.
Wakarimasen
something is worth whatever people are prepared to pay for it. How else does one determine the economic value of a good or service?
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
Maybe he's got melanoma and needs the money for hospital bills.
Clemens Simon
smithinjapan and benjack,
No need to get all melondramatic...
smithinjapan
Ben Jack: "As the famous Mr. Gump says, "Stupid is as stupid does." If someone wants to use their honestly earned money to buy something expensive, no matter how expensive, that is there concern. No one is forced to buy the expensive ones."
I respect your down to earth tone in your comments, and I agree that people who agree to pay a fortune for a piece of fruit have every right to do so -- doesn't make it less stupid, though.
Maitake
lotta bad jokes on this thread...
JonathanJo
He should have said he got them from a Mellon bank ATM.
bogva
If resellers are ready to pay the farmer 2000 yen per melon I guess the retail price would be close to 4000 yen per piece. So here comes the question - were those valuable type (e.g. - square, rhomboid, or glossy)? Not enough info - the dorobo might have been well educated and could have possibly sold those melons on black market for 10 times more the market price!!!
lostrune2
Oh, those type of melons!
Thunderbird2
Live in it?
Patricia Yarrow
What was the old geezer going to do with that many fancy melons? Sell them to his buddies?
Opinionhated
Put your car up for sale for 10 million. Then alert your insurance company of the new value of your car. Good luck with that.
Then when someone steals it, claim 10 million in court. Good luck with that too.
Sticker price does not equal value until an item is actually sold in the market at that price. The real problem is that the article should not have even used the term value because its indeterminable. When determining damages, the courts will look at the cost, not the predicted value or desired price. On top of the cost, they may award damages. The article should have said "estimated value" or "priced at" to be accurate, because we cannot yet know the value.
When I said worth and actual value (at this time), I meant the cost of producing the melons.
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1073790695&type=RESOURCES
No customer, no value.
mrmalice
who would do that unless they were mental and had to save the alien melons or unless they were in dire need of food and it was easy to get there ... if the guy had an income and was capable of buying food it would have been a crime, if not, whose crime was it? i'm always confused with currencies ... 60k yen is about 600 euro ... if i buy a years worth of 'the economist' digital download it cost me 127 euro which is about 160 usd, if i buy it in usd it would cost me about 101 euro ... now if you really need to remove a post for being off topic, then this one would be it
sfjp330
The elderly Japanese petty crime such as shoplifting is very common. The economic worries and loneliness, the elderly Japanese are turning to petty crime in increasing numbers. The traditional Japanese family is gone, and now our elderly live alone. When you talk to them, some don't have enough money for food. When officer stopped a suspect, an 80-year-old man. He had enough money to pay for all of his groceries, but he tried to leave the store without paying for medicine for an upset stomach. He said "I'm so sorry, I live alone. My wife is in the hospital." This is the reality in life for some of the elderly in Japan. Most stores often don't even report the crime to police.
Equality
Clearly, the man loves melons!
Falcongrl89
What-a-melon Head! xD
nath
the robbery was the melons for 60,000yen... I love melons also.....
Ben Jack
Thanks. Same to you! I do understand what you mean. For me, it would be stupid to pay a huge amount of money for something like a melon. It seems like you are saying that is the same for you, too. However, for some, for financial reasons or other reasons, it is reasonable to spend such a sum for what basically comes down to a piece of fruit. For others, like us, we'd rather use our hard earned dough for something more practical or with a better enjoyment return for our money. I've had some of the luxury stuff and it is tasty, though.
Ben Jack
I see what you are saying. However, my point is exactly what you are kind of driving at (pun intended if you find it amusing, not intended if you do not). The quoted price is based on what the market is willing to bear. In this case it is 2,000 yen per melon. Insurance companies set their values based on what the general market will bear. So, my making up my own price, will not change the assessment value. This is true for taxes on cars and homes, as well. Although depending on the product and its condition I still might get a buyer with the price I decide. That is why with homes the sales tax is based on the price of the home, but the property tax is based on the property assessment.
TokyoTanuki
Perhaps he intented to steal 101 melons and fashion them into some kind of Melon-skin coat...
gyroman
6 man? Really ?? like that makes a difference in Japan! How about 'nabbing' all the guv oyajis who get millions of yen on supporting TEPCO, the tax hike, other kickbacks? When will Japan set it's priorities right?