Who Robs Banks in Japan?

On Wednesday police arrested 4 persons suspected of being involved in the 2004 armed robbery in Minami-Kawachi in Tochigi Prefecture.

The heist of a transport company, suspected as being an inside job, was the largest in Japanese history, netting the robbers JPY 542,500,000.00.

In contrast the North Hollywood Robbery that took place in 1997 netted the 2 armed robbers involved USD 300,000.00, although both later died as a result of a “automatic rifles and all” shootout outside the bank, tactics which the criminals concerned seem to have adopted from the 1995 Michael Mann film “HEAT”.

Given that gun ownership in Japan is not as prevalent as some parts of the West, what is the profile of the average bank robber in Japan?

Has bank robbery as a trend increased? What is the most violent robbery ever committed in Japan? Are guns used? How are victims in the bank treated? How are they threatened?

As innocuous as it sounds, perhaps examining the way in which bank robbers do their business may give this gaijin insight into Japanese culture.