OSAKA - High-end bonsai are being stolen from gardens across Japan in a growing series of thefts, with some trees later appearing on social media overseas and industry officials saying more than 100 cases are now reported each year.
Security camera footage from one bonsai garden captured a thief entering the property, approaching shelves of bonsai and taking several pots in quick succession before escaping just 2 minutes and 30 seconds later.
The thefts come as Japanese bonsai gain popularity overseas and prices for valuable specimens rise, increasing their appeal to thieves and resellers.
In Shikokuchuo, Ehime Prefecture, around 50 bonsai were stolen in August from land where they had been cultivated.
The stolen trees included particularly well-shaped specimens around 1 meter tall that had been grown for 50 to 60 years.
They were being prepared for export to Europe when they disappeared.
The owner said the trees had finally reached a stage where they could be sent to Europe after decades of work and described the theft as unforgivable.
The damage was estimated at around 5 million yen.
According to a Japanese bonsai industry cooperative, more than 100 bonsai theft cases have been recorded annually in recent years.
Another bonsai garden in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, was targeted in June, when around 20 bonsai, including Japanese black pine specimens, were stolen.
Security camera footage showed a person dressed in white entering the property at around 3 p.m. after making a loud noise while breaking in.
The person approached the bonsai shelves and picked up one pot after another. At one point, the thief returned a bonsai to the shelf before apparently reconsidering and taking it again.
The intruder moved the pots with practiced movements before leaving, completing the theft in only 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
The garden estimated the loss at around 3 million yen.
The owner said only high-quality specimens that could immediately be sold commercially were taken, raising suspicions that the thief may have had specialized knowledge of bonsai.
Footage recorded around five and a half hours before the crime showed a person wearing clothing similar to that of the thief walking along the road outside the garden with another person dressed in black.
The pair initially appeared to pass the property but then changed direction and entered the area near the garden, suggesting they may have been inspecting the site before the theft.
The thief later entered by climbing over a wall.
After the incident, the garden spent around 500,000 yen to double the height of the wall as a security measure.
The owner said most of the garden's bonsai are produced in-house rather than purchased from elsewhere, with even relatively ordinary specimens requiring at least five years to cultivate.
It was the second time the garden had been targeted.
Around November last year, between 20 and 30 pots were stolen from the same business, causing another estimated 3 million yen in losses.
The owner said thieves may not understand the true value of what they are taking or the work required to produce it.
For growers, however, some bonsai have been cared for for decades before they can finally be sold.
"They are like our children," the owner said.
At another bonsai garden, stolen trees were later discovered in an unexpected place.
More than 40 specimens were stolen there, with the total loss estimated at just under 15 million yen.
About a month after the theft, a regular customer contacted the garden after seeing photographs posted online.
The images appeared to have been uploaded from Europe and were accompanied by a message saying that high-quality bonsai had been purchased cheaply.
Two bonsai shown in the photographs were identified as trees stolen from the garden in August last year.
The owner said identification was possible because he had personally cared for the trees for years and no two bonsai are exactly alike.
Recovering bonsai once they have been taken overseas is extremely difficult, however, because bringing plants back into Japan is subject to strict quarantine requirements.
Industry officials say stolen bonsai are often taken overseas and sold.
Most people involved in bonsai thefts are believed to be Japanese, although foreign nationals are also known to be involved.
Possible offenders include bonsai enthusiasts, people seeking to resell valuable trees and individuals acting on instructions from others.
Protecting valuable bonsai also presents difficulties because, unlike cars, bonsai do not have registration documents that can easily prove ownership.
Experts say growers should keep detailed records and photographs of valuable specimens and could consider using GPS tracking devices for especially expensive bonsai.
Source: KTV NEWS
