On the morning of 2 November a man armed with a kitchen knife entered a bank in Munakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture. Upon seeing the man, the clerk asked “What can I do for you?”
“Hand over the money.” he said quietly.
Then the clerk summoned all her years of training and experience as a bank employee and dealt with the intruder the best way she knew how.
She asked him to take a seat on the couch and wait. The man politely agreed and took a seat.
After 10 minutes of waiting, he got tired of holding the knife and put it away in his bag. Just then, police rushed in and apprehended the man.
The 38 year-old was arrested for attempted robbery – really, really slow attempted robbery.
“I wanted to rob a bank, so I got a knife from the kitchen” he said, admitting his guilt.
Prison staff must be amazed at how pateintly he is awaiting trial.
Source: News24 (Japanese)

Would-be bank thief just fails at everything
Chinese bank teller becomes internet sensation for belly laughing at knife-wielding robber【Video】
Woman Arrested for Attempting to Rob Convenience Store, Attempt Was So Bad She May Get Off
Osaka man arrested after paying phone bill in the middle of crime spree
Store employee uses barcode scanner to defeat knife-wielding robber
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Downtown Tokyo’s meaty monster Kaibutsu ramen will challenge your stomach, thrill your taste buds
New cafe in trendy Tokyo neighborhood is staffed by grannies and grandpas with average age of 73
How far away from Tokyo can you get with 5,000 yen? Let’s find out!
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Mighty, meaty Tokyo ramen joint flips script by overflowing the bowl with delicious chashu pork
How to use Japan’s new self-checkout supermarket carts
Hana Komon: Japan’s beautiful, samurai-style floral birthday crests
What is Teru Teru Bozu? The tragic history behind the Japanese fine weather doll
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Restaurant manager arrested for armed robbery…of his own restaurant
Female convenience store clerk accidentally fends off robber in Tokyo with two simple words
Digital-age robber epically owned by analog granny at convenience store in Fukuoka
83-year-old convicted of armed robbery, “I wanted to eat better food and have fun with girls”
Sapporo man attempts to rob store with lighter, goes as you’d expect
Man arrested for attempting to rob Tokyo police with fruit knife
Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police