Japan Tsunami Hits Shinkin Bank; $500,000 Gone From Cracked Vault

TOKYO — The earthquake and tsunami that pulverized coastal Japan crippled a bank's security mechanisms and left a vault wide open. That allowed someone to walk off with 40 million yen ($500,000).

The March 11 tsunami washed over the Shinkin Bank, like much else in Kesennuma, and police said between the wave's power and the ensuing power outages, the vault came open.

"The bank was flooded, and things were thrown all over. It was a total mess. Somebody stole the money in the midst of the chaos," said a police official in Miyagi prefecture, where Kesennuma is located.

The bank notified police on Tuesday, 11 days after the disaster, said the official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Comments

[bccmeteorites]

05:24 AM on 03/30/2011

I wonder if Yoko is out there handing out bottled water.

[rbenjamin]

05:40 PM on 03/27/2011

I'm not sure why the accompanying photo is of a cantilevered catamaran, but it's still really great.
Not sure if it's a business establishment, but it would make a great seafood restaurant with a retro 50s look. Lemonade out of lemons.

[Waikikinme]

08:47 PM on 03/26/2011

Stereotypes

I love it when the fall!!

http://badboyinjapan.blogspot.com/2011/03/post-earthquake-looting-in-japan.html

[friendofbear]

05:04 PM on 03/25/2011

The bank employee said the money was already gone when he got there.

That's his story and he's sticking to it.

[shanghaislim]

01:11 PM on 03/24/2011

Leave it to the polite Japanese..............

.................."Quality Looting"

[KarlaElisa]

11:45 PM on 03/23/2011

Come to think of it....what if their insurance won't cover the loss of an 'act of god' but it WILL cover theft?

[KarlaElisa]

11:44 PM on 03/23/2011

How do they know the money didn't wash away?

[allperils]

05:04 PM on 03/23/2011

Any normal person with half a brain would take the money and leave.

[Holly Rayl]

02:52 AM on 03/26/2011

"Any normal American with half a brain would take the money and leave."

Fixed.

[Jeremy Lovell]

12:35 PM on 03/26/2011

Ever been told that you are prejudiced?

[donbrown]

04:11 AM on 03/23/2011

Uh, oh... guess this destroys the narrative there's no looting in Japan.

No canned goods or TVs stolen...only half a million in cash.

[bloglogger]

04:15 PM on 03/23/2011

Another factor is that there is no large ethnic group that has a criminality stereotype attached to it in Japan. The owners of stores don't value their (probably damaged) goods above the lives of their fellow citizens. What I mean is that there probably have been people getting food from damaged stores, but no one calls it looting because the people are welcome to it in a time of crisis. How a behavior is framed makes all the difference.

[KarlaElisa]

11:43 PM on 03/23/2011

Our media only called it 'looting' when it was black people doing it. White folk just stocked up on supplies.

[Jeremy Lovell]

12:27 PM on 03/26/2011

Whatever you want to call it, it is happening. The Japanese media is too polite and / or ashamed to speak of it, but my friends up there in the northeast of this country say it is happening a lot. If it were just food or gasoline or kerosene for heat or blankets, I'd say fine. But there is a criminal element here in Japan too, and they are stealing out of broken homes and businesses right and left, so I am told.

[MAX1]

12:47 AM on 03/23/2011

And just when the meme was getting around... "Japanese do not loot."

[Sanity Inspector]

08:41 AM on 03/23/2011

Ever heard of the meme "there are exceptions to everything"? What just happened is so rare that it made international news. Let this enormous disaster happen in an area with less social cohesion than Japan, and the police would have to hide under their desks.

Besides, who said the looters were Japanese? There are stories abroad that even the Japanese mafia are helping with disaster relief.

[allperils]

05:05 PM on 03/23/2011

I agree with you, relax.

But honestly, anyone with a pulse would think and act on that $500,000.

Would you? I know I would.

[Jeremy Lovell]

12:31 PM on 03/26/2011

In Kobe where I used to live, the government didn't show up to deal with the quake until a week after it happened. In the meantime, it was the yakuza (mafia) who provided everyone with rice and water. Everyone was grateful

[shthar]

12:21 AM on 03/23/2011

And that money is HOT!

[MSROADKILL612]

09:49 PM on 03/22/2011

My money is on somebody in the boat

Thats not looting, just common sense

[Boobuzuela]

06:54 PM on 03/22/2011

I want to see video when they take that boat off the roof. Anyone else?

How you suppose they'll do it?

Cut it in crane-sized pieces after taking the motors out? Possibly!

Or leave it as a memorial?

[outofstepper]

03:12 AM on 03/23/2011

Bring in a large crane and hoist it off.

[shanghaislim]

01:13 PM on 03/24/2011

Wait for the next Tsunami?

[Boobuzuela]

06:17 PM on 03/22/2011

There's no looting in Japan. (repeat)

[Jeremy Lovell]

12:37 PM on 03/26/2011

There is. It is just not on the Internet.

[Johnny2Bad]

06:05 PM on 03/22/2011

Who is the culprit? Depends on who is ask. If you ask a Republican they'll tell you it was illegal Mexicans who were responsible and if you ask a Jew it was Hamas who did it.