Robbery Suspect Was Allegedly Living In A Video Game Arcade

It isn’t that uncommon to hear of criminal suspects residing in manga cafes. Those establishments have daily rates, and if you get a booth, there’s enough space to stretch out and sleep. However, a suspect living in an arcade? That’s new.

[Image: DocChewbacca | Flickr]

According to the Kobe Shimbun, 30-year-old Kazuki Maehara was arrested for trespassing after being discovered allegedly living between arcade cabinets at a game centre in Kobe. Maehara had a part-time job, but as the Kobe Shimbun reports, he was apparently living in an arcade. Maehara, the paper explains, ended up moving out of his home after a falling out with his mother. He supposedly bummed around, living in cheap houses and manga cafes.

The Kobe Shimbun adds that he had also allegedly been breaking into a junior high and other buildings to steal money and PE uniforms for a total haul worth ¥1.23 million ($14,271).

On Japanese bulletin board 2ch, commenters tried to imagine where exactly Maehara had supposedly been living in the arcade. One of the most logical spots, commenters wrote, would have been behind enormous sticker machines or inside a large cabinet like the kind Gundam arcade games have.

If I were going to live in a Japanese arcade, I’d sleep in the seats for those horse racing games (above). They are so plush.