Spare a thought for Hiroyuki Cho. The 39-year-old purported "mastermind" behind the theft of large fiber-glass Peko-chan dolls in broad daylight from outside one of Japan's most famous confectionery chains was last week handed a 7-year prison sentence for his crimes.
Cho's harsh sentence is significant at the end of a 12-month period in which an unprecedented number of current and ex-Japanese lawmakers -- and their friends in high places -- have been hauled before the courts on charges ranging from defrauding the state, embezzling public funds, bribery and vote-buying to perjury.
Most have walked free.