In the Land of the Rising Sun, the sun sometimes rises in the west, or so it seemed during an unprecedented incident at Tokyo’s Nakano Broadway shopping complex. A thief not only made off with a nearly $300,000 Audemars Piguet timepiece from the Kamekichi luxury watch retailer on the center’s third floor, but he actually ended up returning it. What sets this incident apart isn’t just the return of one of the world’s most prestigious watches, but the fact that it arrived with proof of remorse. Enclosed was a note that simply read, “I’m sorry,” speaking volumes about the suspect.
Local publications reported that following the heist, the thief took a train from Shinjuku Station and boarded a westbound Tokaido Shinkansen, ending up hundreds of kilometers away. It wasn’t exactly a stealthy getaway. After spending less than ten minutes inside the store, he made a dash for it with the luxury timepiece on his wrist, shocking employees who chased him all the way down to the basement. It was a scene straight out of a James Bond movie, with the suspect bolting down an upward-moving escalator and disappearing into the lower levels. According to Japanese broadcaster TBS, the entire theft took only a few minutes at Tokyo’s premier shopping destination for collectors.
What happened next was just as surprising as the brazen act of fleeing with a $300,000 watch. The suspect, using what was likely a pseudonym, sent the timepiece back in a cardboard box via courier, accompanied by the handwritten apology. Employees verified the serial number, confirming it was the exact watch stolen three days prior and returned on November 1st. The watch was entirely undamaged as was the suspect’s identity.
Nakano Broadway is famous for attracting collectors and tourists searching for rare items, including timepieces from the world’s most elite watchmakers. Notably, just two months ago, another major watch theft in the area was reported by Shueisha. On August 25th, two men smashed a first-floor store’s display case with a hammer, stealing four watches worth approximately ¥200 million (around $1.3 million). While that earlier heist should have put other retailers on high alert, sometimes no one can predict the incoming chaos, or the unexpected confession that follows.
