Vietnamese man accused in theft of 22 bonsai from store in Tokyo

by HIROMICHI FUJITA
May 13, 2025

This Chinese juniper was stolen from a garden store in Akishima, western Tokyo. (Provided by the Metropolitan Police Department)

A Vietnamese national was arrested on suspicion of stealing nearly two dozen bonsai worth 668,000 yen ($4,500) in one of five reported thefts of the miniature potted trees in Tokyo last year.

Pham Minh Duc, 30, is accused of trespassing at a garden store in Akishima, western Tokyo, on Dec. 7 and swiping 22 trees, the Metropolitan Police Department said May 12.

The suspect, who lives in Sakai, Ibaraki Prefecture, admitted to the allegations, police said.

Investigators believe he stole the trees for resale under instructions from others.

Bonsai have gained in popularity around the world in recent years, including other countries in Asia.

Thefts of the dwarfed trees have been reported around Japan.

The 22 trees stolen in December included a Japanese black pine worth about 100,000 yen, a Japanese white pine and a Chinese juniper.

Pham, unemployed, told police that he acted as a driver in the burglary.

Security camera footage showed him with two others around the garden store.

The suspect said he applied for a driver’s job on social media and bought the car used in the crime based on instructions he received online.

He said he had thrown away about half of the trees on a riverbed in Ibaraki Prefecture and brought the others to vacant lots in Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures.