Mayu Yoshida, an Osaka restaurant worker, was taken into custody on Aug. 6 on suspicion of “fraudulent obstruction of business,” according to the Daily Sabah.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department reported that between July 2024 and May 2025, Yoshida targeted manga publisher Shueisha Inc.’s online store. Operating across 238 different accounts, she placed thousands of orders for merchandise from hit series, including “One Piece” and “Naruto.”
Investigators detailed two primary methods Yoshida used to abandon these purchases. Often, she would reserve rare items but allow the payment deadlines to expire, triggering automatic cancellations. Alternatively, she would place cash-on-delivery orders, open the packages to inspect the products upon arrival, and then return them unpaid. In several instances, she simply ignored calls from delivery drivers altogether.
Shueisha Inc. reported that Yoshida’s massive volume of pre-orders and subsequent cancellations created artificial shortages. This led to temporary stockouts that prevented genuine customers from purchasing the products, costing the company valuable sales opportunities.
Furthermore, the publisher suffered direct financial damages totaling approximately 7.5 million yen ($48,000). According to Jiji News, these losses primarily stemmed from wasted delivery fees and warehouse storage costs.
Yoshida admitted to the allegations during police questioning, clarifying that she harbored no personal dispute with the company. Instead, she confessed to using the shopping spree as a coping mechanism, despite lacking the funds to cover her purchases.
“I was extremely stressed in my daily life,” she told police, according to The Japan News.
She explained that the cycle of placing and canceling orders provided a rush of excitement, mimicking the feeling of actually acquiring the merchandise.
“I generally love anime. Ordering products gave me a sense of satisfying my desires,” she added, as quoted by Haberler.