Man arrested for eating at Yoshinoya without paying for 12 hours

Monday 25th August, 02:05 PM JST

GIFU —

A 59-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for eating meals at a Yoshinoya restaurant without paying for them over a 12-hour period in Gina, Gifu Prefecture. Tamotsu Horiguchi, who is unemployed, was charged with fraud at 2 p.m. Sunday.

According to police, Horiguchi came to the restaurant at 2 a.m. Sunday and ordered 15 meals worth 2,810 yen throughout the day. Restaurant staff called police after he told them he had no money to pay.

Horiguchi was quoted by police as saying, “I was so hungry and had no money, so I didn’t know what else to do.”

Latest 15 of 27 Total Comments Show All

sensei258 at 08:09 PM JST - 25th August

Why'd they wait for the 15th meal to call police? How about after his 3rd or 4th, when it was obvious he wasn't going to pay?
bamboohat at 08:52 PM JST - 25th August

what fools. usually when a smelly homeless guy shuffles into a restaurant and orders food, you are supposed to think: "uh oh. this can't be good".

But this rock star got away with FIFTEEN meals? in TWELVE hours? It took those minimum wage beef jockeys that long to figure something was up and reckon they should call the cops?

only in japan
MeanRingo at 08:54 PM JST - 25th August

Now this is a good crime story. It tickles me to see this whole boiled frog routine played out in society. What were the staff thinking? Junior Staff: He's had 3 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 4 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 5 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 6 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 7 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 8 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 9 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 10 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 11 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 12 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 13 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 14 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Give him another and see what happens. Junior Staff: He's had 15 bowls sempai, and I don't think he will pay. Senior Staff: Enough is enough. Call the police. Shear comedy. Like an SNL routine gone amuck.
jiak80 at 10:12 PM JST - 25th August

Must be a SumoWrestler starving at his peak
usaexpat at 11:58 PM JST - 25th August

Aside from the crime at hand how does one eat 15 meals at Yoshinoya without droping over dead? MeanRingo, right on the money what a bunch of idiots to continue serving him.
kimigano at 12:11 AM JST - 26th August

they probably called the police after they saw the bathroom

Imagine if this happened at CoCo Ichi!
japanyesterday at 02:15 AM JST - 26th August

geez, they should just let guy work that off humping a days load off the truck or whatever
Kameleon at 03:41 PM JST - 26th August

The staff are moronic.
BoldWarVeteren at 03:44 PM JST - 26th August

No good samaritan to help out this guy?

From lengthy experience of Japanese their is very little sympathy or charity towards unfortunates.

I remeber a similar case, and the guy went to jail, around the same time a rapist was handed a suspended jail sentence.

Something not quite right!
flammenwerfer at 04:06 PM JST - 26th August

15 meals no doubt means 15 items: beef bowls, coleslaw, miso soup etc. A nami bowl is 380yen.

Charged with fraud? not theft?
as_the_crow_flies at 08:29 PM JST - 26th August

Ordering even one bowl of Yoshinoya gyudon is already a crime. Ordering 15 calls for capital punishment.
Youdontknow at 11:43 PM JST - 26th August

What kind of crap do you get for 15 meals and less than ￥3000? Sheesh!
Sarge at 11:51 PM JST - 26th August

This reminds me of that TV commercial where the guy is told his bill is 600 yen and he says "Roppyakuen ka..." and reaches into his pocket and finds he has no money and says, "Ooosh - kyou wa tada da!"
kavikahi at 05:21 AM JST - 27th August

I'd send the staff to jail and give the guy a job.
bamboohat at 05:43 AM JST - 27th August

funny stuff. I used this article in class yesterday.

Opening question (before reading article): What do you do when you are homeless and hungry?

One student, smiling, pointed: Go to Yoshinoya!