Gaming Reviews, News, Tips and More.
We may earn a commission from links on this page

Alleged Toy Thief Threatened with Internet Shame

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Besides anime and manga, retail chain Mandarake also specializes in retro toys. One of the rarest was apparently stolen earlier this week. Mandarake says it captured the alleged thief on a security camera and now it wants the toy back. Or else.

The missing toy in question is a Tetsujin tin wind-up toy made by Nomura Toys. This is quite a rare item, and Mandarake pegs it at 250,000 yen (US$2,437).

On its official site, Mandarake has an open letter, telling the accused that if he doesn't return the valuable toy by August 12, it will remove the pixels from the above photo, exposing the man's face.

Advertisement

Since Mandarake is a well-known retailer in Japan, this story has gotten considerable coverage on Japanese forums and blogs, with some commenters wondering if the alleged thief will be forgiven should the toy be returned. Others wondered if it was okay for a store to reveal the identity of someone accused of stealing like this.

Advertisement

Today is August 6. The deadline is August 12. The clock is ticking, alleged crook!

Advertisement

返しに来ない場合は顔写真のモザイクを外して公開します [Mandarake]

To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.

Advertisement

Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.