
Usually, going to the convenience store or cooking for yourself is an either/or question, but not this time.
Japanese convenience stores are packed not only with sweet and salty snacks, but also all sorts of tasty pre-made meals, making them a great choice for when you’re hungry but don’t want to cook. So the staff at a convenience store in the town of Kasuya, Fukuoka Prefecture, were surprised on Tuesday morning when a 38-year-old man rolled up to their parking lot, got out of his car, and started cooking right there in front of the store.
After parking, the man unloaded both an electric rice cooker and an IH hot plate, then plugged the two cooking appliances into an electrical outlet on an exterior wall of the store. He then started cooking a pot of rice, and also whipped out a frying pan and started stir-frying some yakisoba noodles, complete with a bottle of sauce for them, all just a few steps away from the entrance of the store, which was open for business. When employees asked him what he was doing, he gave no response.
▼ A photo of the man’s cooking set-up, taken by passerby and Twitter user @poppo_kai.
— ぽっぽ (@poppo_kai) May 25, 2021
The man started cooking a little before 6 a.m., and had been at it for about 30 minutes when the police, who’d been called by one of the convenience store employees, showed up. The man then went back into his car, shut the door, and ignored calls to come out for the next several hours. Sometime after noon, he fired up his car’s engine and drove off, with police officers following. A little less than an hour later, after entering the Fukuoka city limits, the traffic got heavy enough that he had to stop his car, at which point he was apprehended by the police and taken into custody.
No injuries or accidents were reported in relation to the pursuit, but the man, who has no fixed address or place of employment, faces potential legal consequences for fleeing from police officers and unauthorized use of the store’s outlets. After all, if convenience stores want you to ask the staff before you use their bathrooms, they definitely don’t appreciate you using their electricity to cook breakfast.
Source: Mainichi Shimbun via Hachima Kiko
Top image ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Man arrested after rice cooker found plugged into neighbor’s home
Soon you’ll be able to spend the night in a convenience store parking lot when traveling in Japan
Japanese woman subdues convenience store thief with headlock, credits anime for technique
We try cooking lots of things with Japan’s double-decker one-person bento box-sized rice cooker
How much more expensive is it to use microwave rice packs instead of cooking/freezing your own?
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
McDonald’s Japan adds new Hello Kitty and Pompompurin drinks to the menu for a limited time
New Japanese KitKats come in sakura flavour, with poetic symbolism for success
Sailor Moon’s Artemis is part of the Artemis II NASA mission control team[Video]
New cafe in trendy Tokyo neighborhood is staffed by grannies and grandpas with average age of 73
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Which Gundam is the favorite for fans in different countries? Gundam election announces results
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Criminals of Japan’s Edo Period Were Often Punished by Getting Face Tattoos
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
Tokyo’s best museum for foreign travelers finally reopens after being closed for four years
Totoro Fund line of beautiful artwork and apparel lets you help the real-world Totoro Forest
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
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
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
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
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
Hokkaido man arrested after asking convenience store to lend him money
Loaded gun found in convenience store restroom in Japan, cop’s on-duty poop to blame
Japanese convenience store clerk outsmarts robber with just two words
Dead body found in car in parking lot in Japan, police say it may have been there over two years
Man runs amok inside Osaka convenience store, reminds everyone of the Yakuza video game
Super-cheap, super-convenient rice-cooking mug is a new kitchen gadget all-star from 3 Coins
Man in Japan orders female store clerk to prostrate herself over misunderstanding with his change
Japan’s one-person bento box-sized rice cooker gets double-decker version that cooks side dishes too
Man arrested for trying to kill a convenience store owner over a cup of coffee
Let’s cook this jet-black chicken in the rice cooker and see what happens【SoraKitchen】
Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police
9 million yen awarded to convenience store from man for over 11,000 hours of unauthorized parking
Japanese convenience store demands ransom from owner of car parked illegally in its lot
Nuisance foreigner climbs onto Family Mart roof in Shibuya, yells “I did it!” before police step in
How to make curry in a rice cooker with zero prep work and no water[Recipe]
This buttery, garlicky sausage and rice recipe is simple, cheap, and pretty much to die for