Thieves raid Japan ninja museum in dead of night, vanish with safe containing US$9,500
- The culprits forced their way into the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum office with a crowbar
- The 150kg safe, which was stolen in the early hours of Monday, contained takings from around 1,100 people
Under cover of darkness, thieves vanished with the 150-kilogramme (330-pound) strongbox containing around US$9,500, paid as admission fees to the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum in central Japan.
The museum is dedicated to the legend of the ninja – the covert martial arts masters and agents of sabotage who prowled the shadows in feudal times, and were famous for secrecy and stealth.
But police called to investigate the crime found that the culprits had been less than subtle – having forced their way into the museum office with a crowbar, Kyodo News agency reported.
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The safe, which was stolen in the early hours of Monday, contained takings from around 1,100 weekend visitors, the Asahi newspaper reported.