Corn thefts during harvest season in Japan's Yamanashi Pref. prompt increased vigilance
KOFU -- Yamanashi Prefectural Police are ramping up their vigilance against corn thefts, a specialty product of this central Japan city, with its peak harvest season looming in June, as in recent years there have been a spate of incidents targeting the crop during this time of year.
One such case occurred early one morning in June 2022 in the Nakamichi district of Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture's capital city. Approximately 1,000 ears of corn, worth 200,000 yen (currently around $1,400), were stolen from a field. The theft was apparently orchestrated just before harvest. The prefectural police believe it was carried out by a group and have been investigating, but the case remains unsolved. A 78-year-old corn farmer near the scene commented, "It's enough to fill a small truck. It's truly sad and frustrating to have the corn we've carefully grown stolen."
The Kofu basin's temperature fluctuations between day and night contribute to the area's thriving corn production. In particular, the Nakamichi district in southern Kofu is a major production area, with vast cornfields dominating the landscape. Varieties such as "Gold Rush," "Mille-Feuille" and "Kimihime" are known for their high sugar content and large size. These are primarily shipped to the Tokyo metropolitan area, fetching prices around 3,600 to 3,800 yen (about $25 to $26.50) per 5 kilograms.
According to Minami-Kofu Police Station, there have been a number of corn thefts in recent years. In 2024, there were three incidents involving a total of 50 ears of corn stolen within its jurisdiction. Additionally, in June of the same year, eight ears of "Gold Rush" corn were stolen from a field in the neighboring city of Fuefuki, leading to the arrest of a man in his 70s from Kofu on suspicion of theft. A local farmer said that the theft of two to three ears is a common occurrence each year and they do not file a damage report with police over such small-scale thefts.
To help prevent these incidents, the police station will conduct a large-scale patrol on May 23, deploying police dogs among other measures. It is also intensifying patrols with police cars throughout the harvest season. Yukihisa Hirayama, chief of the station's community safety division, emphasized, "We must not allow the theft of corn that farmers have painstakingly cultivated."
(Japanese original by Shusaku Sugimoto, Kofu Bureau)
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