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Fran Lu

Social media sleuths in Japan have led to the arrest of a cosplayer who stole a motorcycle then showed off pictures of the bike online.
People were also shocked to learn that the “woman” thief turned out to be a plump 39-year-old man.
The bizarre incident began to unfold when the wife of the bike’s owner, @chanmn__12, posted news that their beloved Suzuki TL1000R, a discontinued classic race bike, had been stolen on December 30.
The bike cost around 1.1 million yen (US$7,000) on the second-hand market.
The owner, @nyankoya85, said it was very difficult to find a second-hand model in such a good condition.

She said her husband parked the bike in Shinshiro city in Aichi prefecture the night before. It was found the next morning.
The owner had posted the vehicle’s specifications and registration plate number, asking for help to find it.
The post attracted more than 14 million views and 1,400 reposts.
Good news came in less than 24 hours as the internet sleuths discovered a cosplayer @SakuraVictoria_, who has more than 2,000 followers on one social media platform, had posted photos of the same bike on December 31.
The person, who later deleted the post, said they were ecstatic about finally owning a Suzuki TL1000R after wanting it for 15 years.
Some found the post suspicious because the motorcycle was photographed being put into a van.
The owner immediately recognised it because he had personally replaced the tyres with unique patterns.
The owner’s wife said they immediately reported the theft to police.
On the first day of 2025, it was reported that a 39-year-old man from Hamamatsu, another Aichi city one-hour drive from Shinshiro, turned himself in to the police for stealing the motorcycle at a residential building’s car park.

It turned out that the cosplayer, who dressed up as a plump female animation character, was actually a man.
The man confessed his crime and said he was “sorry to the victim”.
But the owner said he would not forgive the thief because he “broke the steering lock” while stealing the bike, and refused to meet him in person after the arrest.
The cosplayer’s account is now locked and his posts hidden.
“This thief was so stupid, showing off stolen stuff online,” said one online observer.
“How good it is that the lost property could be retrieved on the first day of the New Year. It is a lucky sign,” said another.


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People & Culture

Millions of people view online post appealing for information about stolen motorbike, internet sleuths discover plump ‘woman’ thief actually a man


Millions of people view online post appealing for information about stolen motorbike, internet sleuths discover plump ‘woman’ thief actually a man.


Japan