It’s a store where crime does pay.

I always thought I’d be a great thief because I’m often so quiet when I walk up to people they never seem to notice me until I say “hi” and startle them, which in turn startles me. For whatever reason, though, I’m just not criminal-minded at all and couldn’t even take a piece of candy from a faceless big chain store out of worry that some poor part-time clerk would get chewed out by their boss or worse if anything went missing.

So, it’s great that a place has appeared where people like me can put our thievery potential to the test by shoplifting in a store that not only won’t press charges but openly encourages you to try.

This pop-up shop’s name is TOH, which is one of the possible readings for the kanji character for “theft,” and for four days from 13 to 16 March it will once again open its doors to the public after going viral last year and drawing enough crowds to make four-hour line-ups at times. It’s held by the TBS Radio program Nou Toh (Brain Theft) hosted by rapper TaiTan and Mono No Aware vocalist Shuhei Tamaki.

▼ The lineup for last year’s TOH

The way it works is simple: “Customers” pay 1,000 yen (US$6.60) to enter the shop, which is decorated to resemble a type of black market. Once inside, they have 60 seconds to snatch up whatever merchandise they like. However, the entire place is hooked up with highly sensitive radio microphones and if they make any excessive noise, their TOH shopping experience will come to an abrupt end and they get nothing.

There are thousands of items for steal, such as snacks, used books, and clothing by Fruit of the Loom. There are also pillows and mattresses by Brain Sleep up for literal grabs. As you can imagine, shoplifting an entire mattress is pretty tough, but it is possible to take this challenge on in groups of up to four people, and for each member of the group the admission is reduced by 100 yen per person, meaning a group of four would only have to pay 700 yen ($4.60) each.

However, in the case of groups, it only takes one person to trip the microphones for everyone to have to leave. On the other hand, if the group goes in with an every-thief-for-themselves attitude, anyone who manages to exit the shop before a microphone is set off can keep whatever they stole.

So, if you’re going to be in the Akasaka area of Tokyo in mid-March, this is your chance to try some consequence-free shoplifting. Just be sure to book your crime spree in advance on the online ticket service Pia. Slots are still available as of this writing, but it’s filling up fast.

Before concluding this article, it should be noted that neither SoraNews24 nor TBS Radio condone actual stealing in any form, aside from stealing my heart. That is allowed.

Event information
TOH / 盗-TOH-
Venue: TBS Akasaka Blitz Studio / TBS赤坂BLITZスタジオ
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Akasaka 5-3-2
東京都港区赤坂５－３－２
Hours: 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. (13, 14 March), 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (15, 16 March)
Tickets: Pia

Source, images: PR Times
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