A Japanese Miracle Has Taken Place

Ok, now I have your attention, without wishing to cause any offense to any Christians amongst you, what happened here does not in any way, shape, or form, rank alongside walking on water, turning water into wine, or rising from the dead. It is nevertheless, quite miraculous in my eyes.

About two weeks ago my bicycle was stolen only twenty yards from our apartment, in Japan. Having had two bikes stolen in the South of Spain, never to be seen again, I didn't expect to ever see this one again here in Japan. Fortunately, the bike was insured and a claim was submitted to the insurance company. 

For any claim on the insurance, you have to submit a police report, along with the claim form. Then, it takes about two weeks for a cheque to arrive. Unfortunately, the insurance company does not pay out the full price that you paid for the bike new. But sixty percent is better than nothing.

Yesterday, the cheque from the insurance company finally arrived by post. However, today, before I had a chance to use the money towards a new bike, which I admit I was looking forward to, my stolen pride and joy turned up, in the back of a police SUV.

Amazingly, the bike's security key was still in the lock on the bike! I presume I had unwittingly dropped the key near the bike when I returned home from shopping. 

The police were scant on the details about how, and exactly where, the bike was found. All they would say was that it was about a twenty-minute drive from where we live. I don't even know if they apprehended the thief. However, I am sure the fact that all new bikes come with a security number writ large and fixed to the frame of the bike, is a great help in identifying the real owner. And thankfully, my wife had taken a photograph of the security sticker on her mobile phone and was able to pass that on to the police.

The bike is looking a little worse for wear and needs a damn good clean and oil where it is needed. But I am just glad to have regained my freedom and independence. As I mentioned before, the bike is the only transport I have to get around to local amenities. For the last two weeks, I have been walking everywhere. The upside of that is that I have lost about five kilos in weight and generally feel a lot better for it.

On reflection, I must say my faith in the Japanese took a bit of a hit when the bike was stolen. I have always taken great comfort from the basic honesty of the Japanese. By way of mitigation, I take it from my Japanese friends that when bikes do go missing, it is all too often a student rushing to catch a train or to get home. When they arrive at their destination, they simply abandon the bike with the key still in the lock! I guess, maybe in that way, they see it as more of a spur-of-the-moment, one-off loan than a theft.

The thing that surprised me the most about the return of my bike was that the police had clearly made an effort to locate the lost item, which is more than I can say for the police in Southern Spain. When I had my two bikes stolen in Cadiz, the local police didn't want to know due to the fact that, over there, bicycle theft is all too common. The Spanish police force simply does not have the manpower to investigate every single bicycle theft. If they did that, they would never get anything else done to maintain law and order.

A very good friend of mine pointed out that since the serious crime rate in Japan is so low in Japan, maybe that frees up officers on the beat to investigate the rare occurrence of bicycle theft.

So, the beast is back and needs to be recommissioned. In the meantime, I shall continue with my weight loss program to try to lose another five kilos. And I shall rest again knowing that miracles do happen.