Japanese man arrested after pretending to be foreigner while trying to rob convenience store

Attempted Robbery in Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture

On August 18, at around 2:30 a.m., a lone man walked into the Oizumi Yoshida branch of Japanese convenience store chain Lawson in the town of Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture. The only other person in the store at the time was the branch’s 50-something year-old manager, who was working the register. The man approached the counter, but instead of making a purchase, he pulled out a knife and demanded the manager hand over the cash in the register. However, instead of using a typical demand, the man said "Okane wo kudasai," which is an odd choice of words to be using mid-crime. "Okane" is the Japanese word for "money," and adding the honorific "o" to the front of it technically does make it a more polite expression. However, "kudasai" means "please," which is not an intimidating or forceful way of speaking. The mixture of polite speech and implied violence was not enough to convince the convenience store manager to hand over the cash, though, and when he refused to comply, the man fled the scene.

However, using forensic evidence and security camera footage, police investigators were able to determine his identity as that of Atsushi Goto, a 32-year-old resident of Isesaki, another town nearby in Gunma. What’s more, just one day earlier, on the 17th, a man had robbed a different convenience store in Isesaki of 30,000 yen with the exact same method: flashing a knife at the register and saying "Okane wo kudasai." Officers placed Goto under arrest near his home, and he has already admitted to the attempted robbery in Oizumi. Questioning also revealed why he said "Okane wo kudasai" in an unnatural voice, as Goto, who is Japanese, told the police that he did so in order to hopefully sound like a foreigner and aurally mask his identity.

Previous Robbery in Isesaki

Just one day before the attempted robbery in Oizumi, a man had robbed a different convenience store in Isesaki of 30,000 yen with the exact same method: flashing a knife at the register and saying "Okane wo kudasai." This suggests that Goto may have been planning to use this method for some time, and that he may have been motivated by a desire to sound like a foreigner.

Implications of the Incident

The attempted robbery in Oizumi highlights the creative and often unsuccessful methods used by individuals attempting to commit crimes in Japan. It also raises questions about the motivations behind Goto’s actions, and whether his desire to sound like a foreigner was a key factor in his decision to commit the crime. Additionally, the incident highlights the importance of forensic evidence and security camera footage in solving crimes, and the need for individuals to be aware of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.