Japanese shop assistant was too polite. 3 Vietnamese women pretended to be tourists and stole 3,300 items of clothing._1
In a recent interview, experts weighed in on the unique challenges faced by retail staff in Japan when interacting with suspicious customers. Unlike their peers in other countries, Japanese store employees often choose not to overtly express suspicion, even when they have concerns about potential theft.
A recent report from the Nikkei highlights a disturbing trend: after eight years of relative stability, the number of foreign thieves arrested in Japan has started to rise. The report particularly emphasizes a group of Vietnamese individuals who have entered Japan on tourist visas and targeted major retail chains like Uniqlo and H&M, stealing thousands of items, including women’s underwear. This past February, Osaka police apprehended three Vietnamese women who collectively stole as many as 3,300 items. According to the suspects, Uniqlo is viewed as a high-end brand back in Vietnam, where items with Japanese labels can fetch exorbitant prices.
The Nikkei report reveals that these women entered Japan under short-term visas from June 2023 to February 2024. During their brief stays, they managed to steal approximately 12.3 million yen (around $830,000) worth of goods from 37 stores in Tokyo and the Kansai region. Each of them earned between 170,000 and 210,000 yen (roughly $1,143 to $1,412) from their efforts. One of the suspects mentioned how easy it was to steal from Japanese stores, describing how they would continuously fill their bags until they had enough to pack a suitcase for an accomplice waiting outside.
Investigators have pointed out that these women were operating under the guidance of an unidentified man who arranged their travel and accommodations and provided them with detailed instructions before they entered the stores. The guidance included tips on selecting open stores, avoiding those with fewer exits, and focusing on lightweight women’s clothing. One suspect noted that in Vietnam, counterfeit goods are prevalent, and authentic products with Japanese labels can command high resale prices in local second-hand markets.
With the easing of COVID-19 entry restrictions, Japan has seen a surge in foreign tourists, which has been accompanied by a spike in organized theft by foreign gangs. The ongoing staff shortage in Japanese stores has further created opportunities for thieves. According to statistics from the National Police Agency, 1,326 foreigners were arrested for theft in 2023, reflecting a 20% increase from the previous year and marking the first rise in eight years. Organized crime among foreigners appears significant, with about a quarter of these cases involving accomplices, compared to just 3.6% of cases involving Japanese suspects.
In March of this year, four Vietnamese individuals were convicted of theft at a Uniqlo store in Fukuoka and received suspended sentences. They executed their theft according to the leader’s instructions, using specially modified bags designed to avoid security sensors.
Takuma Mitsukazu, the director of the National Crime Prevention Association, pointed out that one of the factors contributing to the rise in these crimes is the polite attitude that Japanese stores adopt toward customers. For instance, while many international chains would require customers to temporarily leave large bags at the entrance, Japanese employees often hesitate to do so. Mitsukazu emphasized the need for comprehensive training for on-site staff to boost vigilance.
A spokesperson for Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo, noted, “We are considering more effective employee training to raise theft awareness across all our stores.”
