Chinese Restaurant Owner in Japan Arrested
Accused of Repeatedly Stealing Fish Waste
Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that a Chinese restaurant owner in Japan stole fish waste and served it to customers.
A Chinese woman running a restaurant in Japan was arrested by the police on charges of stealing fish waste. Chinese social networking service (SNS)
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and other sources on December 9 (local time), Japanese police arrested a 66-year-old woman, Wu Huayou, on charges of theft and trespassing on November 28.
Wu is accused of breaking into a seafood wholesale building at Tokyo's Toyosu Market on the evening of November 21 and stealing about 30 kilograms of tuna backbones and other parts worth 210 yen (approximately 2,000 won).
According to Japanese police, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the scene captured Wu arriving by bicycle at a collection site operated by a company that gathers bones and skins. She was seen placing tuna bodies and bones into her bicycle basket and a styrofoam container.
Wu's crimes continued after the initial incident. She returned to the scene the day after the first theft, on November 22, and appeared a third time on November 26, when she was discovered by a market employee and arrested.
Wu and her husband run a restaurant serving sashimi and Chinese cuisine about 1.5 kilometers from the market. It is reported that they have regularly sourced ingredients from the market and that Wu was well aware of where each store kept its fish by-products.
The tuna backbones and discarded parts she took had originally been set aside to be processed into feed for farmed fish.
The face of a woman accused of stealing fish waste has been revealed. Photo by Fuji News Network, Japan
During police questioning, Wu stated, "I thought it would be edible if cooked." She explained that she minced the parts to make meatballs for herself and grilled some to serve to customers.
Local residents told Fuji News Network (FNN), "This restaurant was very popular, featured in magazines several times thanks to its generous portions, low prices, and the owner's cheerful personality."
After the incident became public, outrage spread online in Japan. One Japanese netizen commented, "It only cost 210 yen (about 2,000 won) for 30 kilograms. She could have just bought it legally." Another criticized, "These are waste products not meant for consumption. Serving them to others is a bigger problem than the theft itself."
Another Japanese netizen argued, "This isn't a case of a foreign student just starting out in society. It's a settled resident running a business committing this crime-she should be deported." Wu's length of stay in Japan is unknown, but the media reported that if convicted, she could lose her residency status.
There was also debate over the Japanese police's decision to release Wu's full name and a photo of her wearing a mask. Some questioned whether it was necessary to disclose her identity for a minor offense of this nature.
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