"Thought It Was a Gift from God"... Japanese Cancer Patient Indicted After Picking Up and Spending 180 Million Won Found on Street

Spent cash from a bag containing money collected from game centers
Will repay 250,000 won a month until age 95

A Japanese man in his 40s who was given a terminal cancer diagnosis has been indicted on suspicion of picking up and spending 180 million won he found on the street. The case has sparked controversy after he argued in court that he “thought he had received a gift from God.”

According to local media, including Tohoku Broadcasting, on October 20 local time, Mr. A, 43, was indicted on suspicion of picking up and spending a bag containing 22 million yen (about 185 million won) on a road in Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 5.

The bag of money had been dropped from a cart by two employees of a security company responsible for transporting cash. The money in the bag was reportedly cash collected from game centers.

Japanese yen. Pixabay

At his first trial, Mr. A admitted to all the charges. He was reportedly on his way home from the hospital after receiving cancer treatment on the day of the offense. He had cancer at the junction of the stomach and esophagus, and his condition was critical after the cancer recurred in his head. He claimed he had been given a terminal diagnosis, saying, “The doctor told me I had only about two to three months left to live.”

After leaving the hospital, Mr. A was on his way to a shop run by a friend when he spotted the bag of money by the roadside. He reportedly initially thought it was a student’s bag and walked past it, but turned back out of curiosity.

He then took the bag to a restroom in a nearby park, cut it open with a utility knife, and found a large amount of cash inside. Mr. A testified that he “thought it was something God had given me.” He spent the cash on travel, food, and medical treatment, including expenses for trips abroad to places such as Vietnam.

Mr. A apologized to the victims in court and said he intended to repay the money. The insurance company compensated the security firm for the lost money, and Mr. A must now repay the insurer 30,000 yen (about 250,000 won) each month.

He has repaid 3.44 million yen (about 28.9 million won) so far, leaving 18 million yen (about 151.1 million won) to repay. He is scheduled to finish paying it off in 2078, 52 years from now, when he will be 95.

When prosecutors asked, “Can you repay the money by 2078 when you have been given a terminal diagnosis?” Mr. A replied, “I will repay it.” Prosecutors sought a one-year prison sentence. His defense lawyers, on the other hand, asked the court to suspend the sentence, citing the circumstances, including that he found the cash shortly after receiving his terminal diagnosis. Mr. A’s next hearing will be held on November 6.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.