Overview

• A farmer in his 70s discovered on September 17 that rice plants had been cut and removed from his paddy in Hirakata, Osaka.
• Police estimate roughly 450 kilograms of Hinohikari were taken, valued at a little over ¥200,000 at wholesale prices.
• The farmer told police he last worked the field on September 10, so investigators believe the cutting occurred during that interval.
• Authorities are treating the case as a theft linked to rising rice prices and are reviewing nearby security-camera footage.
• The field sits near a residential area, and investigators believe machinery such as a combine was used to harvest the rice without permission.