Japan may have one of the lowest crime rates globally but that doesn’t mean it’s a completely clean country. Vehicles do get stolen and in Saitama Prefecture, the most popular stolen vehicle is the Toyota Alphard.

Yes, Japanese car thieves fancy the luxury breadbox on wheels as much as our VIPs and politicians. By the way, Saitama is located 38 minutes away from Tokyo, and manga/anime fans may recognise the name from a certain bald, caped superhero who fights off enemies with one punch.

Also read: A recond Toyota Alphard/Vellfire is nearly RM 44k cheaper than UMW Toyota's official import, should you buy the recond?

But back to the Alphard and the reason why it is highly favoured among car thieves is the MPV’s strong value in the used car market as well as it being a popular car, both in Japan and overseas, like Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Also read: 2020's top 10 most popular cars in Japan, Toyota Alphard is No.5

As such, some of the stolen cars get shipped overseas or even resold in Japan with the original VIN removed. In some cases, to make it harder to trace and sinisterly, easier to take out of the country, the vehicles get broken up into spares.

However, the Alphard wasn’t the most stolen car reported in Japan. According to a survey conducted by the General Insurance Association of Japan in November 2020, the Toyota MPV is ranked sixth among thirty models that were conducted.

The top 3 most stolen cars in Japan last year were the Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius, and Lexus LX. In fact, Toyota and Lexus models were ranked in the top eight.

Indeed, even a country with a squeaky-clean image like Japan is not immune to car theft. So, be safe out there and arm your cars with anti-theft features to prevent your pride and joy from being stolen.

Also read: It’s 2021, but the Proton Wira is still the most stolen car in the country. Here’s why…