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It’s a crime to be poor in Hokkaido, it seems. A 33-year-old man in the city of Asahikawa is under arrest. His grave sin? Asking for money.
The man, according to a report from HBC, arrived in a convenience store (combini) and asked a clerk if they could lend him money. He wasn’t armed and didn’t threaten anyone. The clerk told his manager, who dialed the 110 emergency line.
Police showed up and asked the man if he’d asked for money. When he confirmed that he had, he was arrested for trespassing.
Police said the man had no money on him at the time (tracks) and there was no evidence he’d been driving. His biggest crime appears to be being poor.
This isn’t the only time someone’s faced legal trouble for a slight “crime” at a convenience store in Japan. In April 2022, police arrested a man in his 70s for pouring a medium cup of coffee when he’d only paid for a small.
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