A pure golden tea bowl displayed for sale in the event hall of a Tokyo department store — valued at over ¥10 million — was stolen Thursday, the store reported to police.
An official of the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district reported the theft at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, and the police are searching for a man who fled the site.
The 24-carat gold matcha tea bowl was on sale for ¥10.4 million as part of the Grand Gold Exhibition, featuring over 1,000 meticulously crafted pieces, including koban coins widely used in the Edo Period (1603-1868) and other gold artifacts, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.