At 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday, the proprietor of a drinking establishment in a business district near JR Oimachi Station reported a break-in. Officers arriving at the scene found that the front door had been wrenched open with a crowbar.
According to police, 5,000 yen in cash was taken from a register and several tens of thousands of yen in proceeds for a karaoke machine was missing.
There were no persons inside the premises at the time of the discovery as the bar was closed.
Police suspect the case is connected to at least 10 similar incidents that have taken place in the capital since the beginning of the month.