After watching more crap telly (these quarterly "specials" are usually
even more dire than the stuff they replace) featuring crime from
around the world, I realise it's no wonder the Japanese have such
strange world views.

First this program did three daft gaigogu criminal stories, then there
were two "heartwarming" tales of J crims with a conscience. First up
was a guy who robbed a snack, threatening the Mama with a knife then
tieing her up, and nicking her wallet and jewelry. When he got back to
count his loot, he found he'd made off with her bank book with 2.5
million in it, so he sent her back everything bar 10 man in ready cash
from her wallet. He got nicked and 5 years (?) in jail, however, as
he'd filled in his home address on the takkyubin form...

Back in the studio, one of the panel said she thought it was terrible
he got banged up since he'd sent most of the stuff back, and most of
the rest of the talents muttered in agreement. I suppose being tied up
and threatened with a knife is just an occupational hazard of snack
employees, then?

Next we had another guy who embarked on a 15 year spree as a yakuza
heavy after his wife and kid ran off. He finally decided to go
straight, but only after he'd nicked a few more cars first. He gets
caught taking a car than turns out to be his estranged daughter's car,
so he gets off on a technicality (it's not theft to take your family
members' goods) and has a tearful reunion with his daughter and vows
to go straight. I was hoping for perhaps he turned supergrass, or
tried to repay all the people he'd wronged, but nope, just say sorry
and you're home free, it seems.

Ken