“This place serves a huge grilled tuna collar for only 600 yen – such a steal!” This line, repeated countless times at the popular izakaya Rakusho in Tokyo's Kachidoki neighborhood, became a striking backdrop. The pieces of fish behind the dish were stolen from Toyosu Market late at night.
On November 21, around midnight, a 66-year-old Chinese woman rode her bicycle straight to Toyosu's wholesale building. She headed to the collection area where discarded tuna heads and bones were stored, packed about 30 kilograms of collars and scraps into foam boxes strapped to her bike, and pedaled away.
That leftover food, worth only 210 yen that would have been wasted for fodder or fertilizer, appeared on the izakaya's menu the next day as its signature grilled fish—which cost 600 yen a plate—and was snapped up by eager customers.
On November 28, Ms. Wu, a longtime izakaya owner, was formally referred to prosecutors by Tokyo's Fukagawa Police Station. She admitted during interrogation: "I thought it was still edible, so I took it. Sometimes I would make fish balls for myself, or grill collars for customers."
Security footage shows him riding a familiar pink bicycle, heading straight to the recycling site, loading two boxes within five minutes, tying them down,n and leaving without hesitation.
Market officials had already taken notice of the frequent theft of tuna scrap and increased patrolling. When she returned on the night of 27 November, the guards called the police and arrested her on the spot.
The restaurant is located in Chuo Ward, just 1.5 kilometers from Toyosu Market – about a 20-minute walk. Its menu combines Japanese sashimi with Chinese-style hot dishes. The oversized grilled tuna collar, which cost 600 yen, was so big it barely fit on the plate.
This place has a 4.2-star rating on Google Maps. Review sites are full of comments like "huge portions," "super friendly owners," and "heaven for regular people." Nearby office workers said, "We come here all the time after work. Mama-san speaks both Japanese and Chinese, and this place has even been featured in magazines."
No one could have imagined that the secret behind those generous parts and low prices was a midnight trip to the market for stolen scrap.
