Thieving Nerds Stole To Hang Out with Maids and See Idols

They were called the “Five Guys”. Fitting, because there were five of them. They weren’t just buddies. They were apparently criminals, who went on a crime spree that resulted in burglary and arson. And they were nerds. The Five Guys wanted money, but apparently, not for drugs or booze. They wanted money so they could head to Tokyo’s nerd district, Akihabara, and go to maid cafes and idol concerts.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c&cid=872d12ce-453b-4870-845f-955919887e1b'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c" }).render("79703296e5134c75a2db6e1b64762017"); }); The Five Guys were a band of otaku (geek) crooks. It all started last October, when five friends decided to create a group of thieves. They rummy golds called themselves “The Five Guys”, and the set off on a crime spree that, according to news reports, took them across Tokyo to neighboring Chiba and even as far as Aichi for apparently sixty-six break-ins. The Five Guys apparently made off with ¥5,300,000 (US$63,000) during their crime spree. One sporting goods robbery, for example, supposedly netted them ¥400,000 (around $5,000) worth of equipment and approximately ¥850,000 ($10,500) in cash. In another break-in, they supposedly entered a Tokyo apartment through an unlocked window and scored ¥630,000 (about $7,800) in cash and around ¥1,500,000 ($18,500) in jewerly and precious metals. And once, when there wasn’t money or things to steal, the Five Guys would apparently torch the place. Japanese police recently arrested the group’s ringleader, 21 year-old Yusuke Tasaki. When asked why The Five Guys went on this crime spree, Tasaki replied, “We wanted money to go to AKB48 concerts and maid cafes.” AKB48 is a popular idol pop group. Aimed at Japanese otaku, maid cafes are coffee shops populated rummy mars with young maids. With Japan’s staggering conviction rate, the only place Tasaki will rummy master get to go is prison, which is populated with fellow criminals. Not exactly otaku’s paradise. Culture Smash is a daily dose of things topical, interesting and sometimes even awesome—game related and beyond. (Top photo: ANN/AP)