There is a pattern I am seeing of increased crime in Japan targeting self-custodied cash and precious metals, in both home invasions, and brazen attacks on safety deposit boxes and other private storage companies.
I believe this is possibly evidence pointing to the population not trusting the fiat system and trying to store their wealth outside of it, which has created a honey pot for criminals to target.
And, in news that I believe will exasperate this situation, the Japanese media is currently running "cyber pandemic" programming non-stop, with financial institutions featuring prominently, and one interview in the Nikkei newspaper even positing closing down banking systems as a defensive measure against cyber attacks.
I list the facts I have gathered below with sources. I wonder, if stackers familiar with countries who have gone through reset in recent years (Argentina, Turkey, etc.) if there were similar patterns leading up to the reset event?
- November 2024–January 2025: MUFG Bank discloses that a former employee stole cash, gold and other valuables from customers’ safe-deposit boxes over several years. The bank apologizes publicly in December 2024; police arrest the former employee on January 14, 2025. MUFG reports estimated losses of approximately ¥1.4 billion as of January 10, subject to revision [1].
- July 6 & August 10, 2026: A private safe-deposit facility in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, suffers repeated break-ins. Reporting describes intruders breaking entrance glass and forcing open multiple boxes. On October 22, ANN reports attacks on five Tokyo storage facilities involving hundreds of damaged locker locks; police are investigating possible links to the earlier Chuo-ku incidents [2].
- October 23, 2026: Storage operator Quraz issues an emergency security notice confirming thefts at some of its locations. Following police requests, the company introduces access restrictions and stronger monitoring, and asks customers storing cash, precious metals or expensive jewellery to take all such items home [3].
- November 5, 2026: Police announce arrests of four men suspected of involvement in a July 2025 burglary at a Tokyo precious-metals processing company. The suspects allegedly stole a safe containing approximately 5 kg of gold bars and other property valued at ¥85.4 million. Police are investigating suspected involvement by an anonymous, fluid criminal group, commonly called tokuryū [4].
- November 6, 2026: A shared-system failure disrupts ATM and counter services at 128 Shinkin institutions, mainly in western Japan. Some affected institutions also report online-banking disruption. Operators attribute the incident to equipment malfunction rather than a cyberattack. Services are restored later that day [5].
- September 28, 2026: In an interview with Toyo Keizai, Mizuho Financial Group executive and cybersecurity working-group chair Osamu Terai discusses temporarily stopping banking systems as a defensive measure against cyberattacks. [6].
Sources:
[1] MUFG Bank: “元行員の不祥事に関する対応状況等について” (December 16, 2024). Link
MUFG Bank: “元行員の不祥事に関する対応状況・再発防止策等について” (January 16, 2025). Link
AP News: “Japan bank executives take pay cuts after employee is accused of stealing from safe deposit boxes” (January 16, 2025). Link
[2] FNN: “7月も窃盗被害に 小型貸金庫再び破壊されこじ開けられる…” (August 10, 2026). Link
ANN News: “都内で‘トランクルーム荒らし’ 同じ窃盗グループが金庫荒らしにも関与か” (October 22, 2026), carried by Nagoya TV. Link
[3] Quraz Official Notice: “【重要】緊急セキュリティ対策に関するお知らせ” (October 23, 2026). Link
[4] ANN News: “金の延べ棒5キロ窃盗 ‘トクリュウ’グループか 指示役と実行役逮捕” (November 5, 2026). Link
TBS NEWS DIG: Report on the four arrests and suspected tokuryū involvement (November 5, 2026), republished by Livedoor News. Link
[5] Jiji Press / Nippon.com: “System Failure Disrupts ATMs at 128 Shinkin Banks in Japan” (November 6, 2026). Link
Noto Kyoei Shinkin Bank: Notice confirming counter, ATM and online-banking disruption (November 6, 2026). Link
Kinki Shinkin Card: Restoration notice identifying equipment failure and an interruption from 13:27 to approximately 19:05 on November 6 (November 9, 2026). Link
[6] Toyo Keizai: “顧客を守るために『銀行システム』を止める日が来る…官民会議の座長が語る､直面しているサイバー脅威と新たな防衛策” (September 28, 2026). Link
Thanks for this list and theory. I expect exploits and thefts to get worse, so I could see one resulting in a massive shutdown. And Japanese people would likely endure it rather than take to the streets like Paraguay. The Japanese art of gaman. And maybe they would be justified, because the govt would definitely just print the difference and everyone would be made whole (everyone holding yen slightly poorer in purchasing power). So I still put the odds of steady degradation higher than a reset.
I hope you're right. However, I am thinking it might be more prudent to prepare like you're not.
Here are more links to "Tokuryu" related stories.