Video shows thieves stealing Taiko no Tatsujin drum from game center

AICHI (TR) – In a word, bold.

A pair of thieves stole a drum for the popular game Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Master) from a game center in Kitanagoya City during business hours on April 29.

In security camera footage provided by TV Asahi (May 3), the pair approach the game, which includes two large drums mounted on a main console. One of the thieves plays one drum while the other slips a series of bags over the second. They then walk out with the bagged drum. The caper took a total of 17 minutes.

“The part of the wiring that passes through the inside of the main unit from the back side was completely severed,” said Yudai Niwa, the general manager of Wizard, the management company of the game center.

The incident took place at around 4:00 p.m., when there are a lot of people in the game center. “They are not first-time offenders,” continued Niwa. “The act was too bold and the preparation too thorough. [The drum’s] parts can fetch high returns on auction sites. So, I think resale was their goal.”

The theft is not the first at the game center. About one month ago, the striking surface of a single drum was also stolen.

In a theft-prevention measure, the surface of a replacement was locked to the drum. However, that proved inadequate considering that in the latest case the thieves walked out with the entire unit, which is valued at around 1 million yen.

The release of the footage publicly will likely be followed by the lodging of a complaint with police, Wizard said.