China woman arrested for stealing fish bone waste to feed restaurant staff and customers

A 66-year-old Chinese restaurant owner in Japan has been arrested for stealing 30kg of fish bone waste worth 210 yen (US$1.4).\nOn November 28, Japanese police charged the woman on suspicion of theft and trespass, while publishing the arrest footage showing her mask-wearing face and name.\nThe woman, surnamed Wu, has been accused of breaking into the Toyosu Market’s seafood wholesaler building late at night on November 21 and stealing tuna loins and bones.\n\nAccording to Tokyo police, a surveillance camera captured Wu arriving on her bicycle at the collection point of a company that buys fish bones.\nShe is accused of placing the loins and bones in the basket of her bicycle and in a styrofoam container.\nWu was spotted allegedly stealing again on November 22 and was arrested after market staff saw her appear for a third time on November 26.\nWu and her husband run a Chinese restaurant that serves sashimi and Chinese cuisine that contains seafood. Their eatery is about 1.5km away from the market.\n\nShe was reported to have frequently visited the market to source supplies and knew where the shops stored fish bone leftovers.\nThe tuna loins and bones she stole were collected to be processed into feed for farmed fish.\nWu confessed to the police that she “thought the fish would still be edible if I cooked it”.\nShe made them into meatballs and ate them herself. She also grilled some to serve to customers.\n\nLocal residents told Fuji News Network that Wu’s restaurant was popular and had been featured in magazines.\nIt is also famous for big portions, cheap prices and the owner’s cheerful and friendly personality.\nThe case sparked a heated discussion in Japan and China.\n“If it is only sold at 210 per 30kg, she should have just asked the company nicely to buy it,” one online observer said.\n“It is waste that is not managed well enough to be edible. Stealing is a problem, but feeding it to other people is a bigger problem,” said another.\n\nA third Japanese online observer commented on the illegal behaviour of expats.\n“It is understandable to commit such a crime if she is a new overseas graduate who just entered a company, but she is a settled owner of a restaurant. She should be deported.”\nIt is not known how long Wu has been living in Japan. She could lose her residency status if she is convicted.\nMeanwhile, another person asked if it was necessary to publish her face and name for such a petty crime.\nIn China, online observers also disapproved of theft but at the same time said they were not surprised.\n“I saw many people from her generation collect abandoned stuff on the streets. They might have grown up in a poor environment and find it a pity to throw away stuff that they think can still be utilised,” one person said.\n