I'm so angry that I want to punch the thieves if they come here again. But more than that, I want the trees returned unharmed because bonsai is a work of art that takes time.
Yusei Sasaki, 26, the third-generation owner of bonsai grower Gashoen in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture. On May 8, 33 bonsai worth 18.8 million yen were stolen from his shop. Police say thefts of bonsai trees have surged around Japan, with the prized plants likely being sold overseas.