Here
and
Now

kuchikomi

Veteran female pickpocket can't break herself of the habit

13 Comments

The current (Aug issue) of Shincho 45 features a story by photographer Kaori Inbe about an elderly female recidivist who made a specialty of pocket- and purse-picking in the food sections of department stores.

Now 83, Chika Sato-baba ("Auntie Sato, the basement thief"), boasts an impressively long rap sheet, having been arrested no fewer than 27 times. The tiny woman, who stands only about 140 centimeters tall, has spent nearly 30 years of her life behind bars. Over the past 10 years alone, she's been sentenced to three terms, for five years and 10 months in total.

It is uncertain as to whether Sato Kamiyama had gone straight since August 28, 2013, her release from her previous incarceration. But on March 18 of this year, she was nabbed red-handed in Ueno Station after removing a wallet from a female shopper's handbag.

On that day, she had taken the train from her home in Tokyo's Nakano Ward to a clinic in Arakawa Ward. The hospital was not open that day, so she took the Joban line to Ueno and left the station for the nearby "Ameya Yokocho" shopping street. Unaware that a patrolman had observed her walking about in what appeared to be a suspicious manner and had begun tailing her, she targeted a female mark and followed her onto the concourse of Ueno station, where a sale of products from Tochigi Prefecture was under way.

Using a leopard-print scarf to conceal her hand movements, Kamiyama extracted a wallet from the woman's bag. The police officer, having seen the whole thing go down, arrested Kamiyama on the spot.

The mark's wallet was found to contain 4,015 yen, six gift coupons and credit cards. Normally Kamiyama would have only taken the cash and then discarded the wallet.

It's no justification for her behavior, but Kamiyama went through some rough times in her youth. She was born in Tokyo's present-day Koto Ward on July 7, 1932, and was 13 years old when that portion of the city was leveled in the March 1945 firebombing. At age 18 she began working in a snack establishment but a year later acquired pocket-picking techniques and embarked on a life of crime that has continued to this day. She married and gave birth to one son and one daughter, but subsequently divorced.

Kamiyama however, is not without means of support. In fact, her monthly income from rents and other sources is at least 260,000 yen.

In 1968, she took out a 20 million yen loan to purchase a apartment building in Nakano Ward. The apartment underwent renovation in 1992, and her son and his family reside in one of the units. The outstanding balance was settled in 2012, while she was serving a prison term.

The transcript from her 19th trial includes the following exchanges:

Prosecuting attorney: "During your prison sentence, did you make up your mind not to engage in pocket picking an more?" Kamiyama: "Yes, I was thinking that I absolutely would never put my hands on another person's property."

P: "We were told by your family that they would not let you go out alone." K: "Yes. They locked me in the house."

P: "Weren't you thinking of your family when you stole something this time?" K: "No, I didn't." (Uses a handkerchief to wipe away tears.)

Then she was directly questioned by the judge.

Judge: "Why do you think you keep repeating these things?" Kamiyama: "I thought about it, but gave up."

J: "When you are about to steal something, don't you stop out of consideration for the victim?" K: "It's a bad thing to do to the victim."

J: "So why do you do it then?" K: "I give up, it's hopeless."

J: "This is a terrible thing to do to people. Don't you ever think about how bad it is?" K: "I did think about it, but I gave up."

J: "Why?" K: (No reply.)

"In some ways, habitual female pocket pickers are seeking the same kind of thrill as do people who purchase expensive items on credit," says Manabu Saito, a physician who specializes in treating various forms of addiction. "It doesn't matter if they are well off themselves. They live for the thrill of the hunt, and don't have any perception that they're committing a crime. They are more sensitive to human emotions than other people and feel a desire to gratify their sense of loneliness.

"But it takes amazing ability to enjoy pocket picking at age 83. The only way to make her stop is through closer human relationships."

For her "habitual criminal acts," the judge sentenced Kamiyama to serve a term of two years and six months. "This will really be your last time," he said. "In the future, don't do it anymore."

She returned to her seat in silence.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

13 Comments
Login to comment

First time I have seen cross-examination transcript presented so nonchalantly in English in Japan, even though it is largely translation from Shincho 45

It does sound like another person's smoking, setting fire to buildings or some other bad habit could easily be substituted for pickpocketing in this scenario

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Funny how some woman get a thrill from crime. Many years ago I was in a relationship with a woman in an executive position in an medium to large sized company. She met me for lunch one day and seemed really buzzing. After some chat she pulled out from her handbag and showed me her trophy - a pair of fancy panties she had shoplifted that morning from a well known High Street store. And she was on a real high about it. She went on to be a three term MP and 3 years as a cabinet minister.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

An 83 year old female suri----she should be offered a job at the Police Academy teaching Police(both budding and veteran)the tricks of her trade! What stories she could tell!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It’s no justification for her behavior, but Kamiyama went through some rough times in her youth. She was born in Tokyo’s present-day Koto Ward on July 7, 1932, and was 13 years old when that portion of the city was leveled in the March 1945 firebombing

Then why mention it at all? Maybe the defense team brought it up at trial so the judge would feel sorry for her

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I think imprisoning a non-violent 83-year-old offender who is clearly beyond hope of rehabilitation is probably the wrong solution. Doesn't Japan's criminal justice system have more constructive ways to deal with people like Kamiyama?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Fascinating story! 83 and still in the game. It must be a compulsion for her, she obviously can't resist. Good work from that policeman by the way.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

She keeps doing it and the courts keep sending her to prison. There's no suggestion in this story that she's ever been sent for counseling, or to someone like Manabu Saito - the physician quoted at the end of the article who specializes in treating various forms of addiction.

From the evidence presented in the court transcripts, it seems that the only 'help' this lady is getting is the judge asking her to question her actions, and consider the feelings of the victim. I don't need my Masters in Criminal Psychology to tell me that's never going to be an effective solution. It beggars belief actually, that after the history this lady has had, that was how the judge chose to deal with her.

And as for the police officer tailing her because she was acting suspiciously, although he did catch her in the act, I have to question why he didn't stop her and prevent the crime from taking place. I'm presuming here that he knew who she was as surely her previous history meant she was well known to all the local police. If the police officer knew who she was and that was one reason he started tailing her, he could have stopped her, made it known she had been spotted, and had a chat to make sure she was thinking straight - 'don't do this to your family again' etc.

Maybe the Japanese police aren't interested in preventing crime - just prosecuting?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The need to hoard, among those who lived through times of war and poverty, is documented, I believe. People feel the need to stockpile food, valuables and other items so as not to go without again.

Developing habits to relieve feelings of extreme anxiety and stress is common too, and these habits are difficult to undo. I can't say I feel anything but sympathy and efforts at understanding, for this woman. Has counselling ever been offered as a solution?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Maria,

Not only that, they say hoarding and other mental disorders like OCD might be remnants of human evolution. Those habits were useful and desirable traits in our hunter and gatherer days, but are no longer necessary in modern life.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@SimondB

After some chat she pulled out from her handbag and showed me her trophy - a pair of fancy panties she had shoplifted that morning from a well known High Street store. And she was on a real high about it. She went on to be a three term MP and 3 years as a cabinet minister.

So now we know how they become MPs and cabinet ministers... Maybe also here in Japan ?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

SimondBAug. 06, 2016 - 10:12AM JST

Funny how some woman get a thrill from crime. Many years ago I was in a relationship with a woman in an executive position in an medium to large sized company. She met me for lunch one day and seemed really buzzing. After some chat she pulled out from her handbag and showed me her trophy - a pair of fancy panties she had shoplifted that morning from a well known High Street store. And she was on a real high about it. She went on to be a three term MP and 3 years as a cabinet minister

Is your ex Takako Doi?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Legally sanctioned theft=politics & government And the penalty? Try not paying your taxes!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If your stupid enough to get done by a 83 year old Grandma, why would you want her charge. If that happen to me I would allow her to keep the money. But if I knew she own,s a apart block I would ask for my money back and say good try.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites