If you were wondering why your New Year greeting card did not reach your Japanese friend, one probable reason is because it might have been stolen. A 46-year-old homeless man was arrested Friday for allegedly stealing New Year’s greeting cards delivered to another person’s home in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture

When questioned by the police, the suspect explained:
I felt lonely because I’m homeless and single. I wanted to see photos of families (on New Year’s cards I stole).
So how many new year cards did he steal? 450 New Year’s cards addressed to 35 households.
He was arrested when local police had received a phone call from a local resident reporting that a suspicious man was searching mailboxes in their neighborhood. Officers spotted Yamada and arrested him.
Source: Mainichi Japan
Come to think of it, I have never received any new year greeting cards specifically addressed to me, but I don’t go around stealing it from other people’s mailboxes. LOL
















i kind of feel bad for the guy
thats about 14 cards on average to each of those houses…..we got no new years cards………..ever
I only know of Christmas and New years cards, not new years on its own
Really its kinda sad that the guy is that lonely but i think stealing cards addressed to other people would make me feel worse
Hm better contact my friend to see if he got my letter…
poor guy though.
I’ve heard from a japenese that her 90 year old father has written 600 new year postcards and recived 600. It’s normal to writte new year postcards thats a big event in Japan.