‘The Grandpa Gang’: Three Old Men With a Combined Age of 227 Become Japan’s New Actual ‘Partners in Crime’

This story could easily be the plot of a successful Hollywood thriller, where three men meet in prison and later team up to carry out robberies. A similar situation has occurred in Japan and is gaining international attention. The surprising element is that all three men are over the age of 70. Consequently, this elderly trio in Japan is being referred to as the “grandpa gang.”

According to a report by The South China Morning Post, a trio of elderly men with a combined age of 227 have become the unlikely face of crime in Japan. Dubbed the “G3S” by police—a playful take on the Japanese word for “grandpas”—the group is suspected of carrying out a series of burglaries on the northern island of Hokkaido.

Hideo Umino, 88, Hidemi Matsuda, 70, and Kenichi Watanabe, 69, allegedly formed their criminal enterprise while serving time in prison. Upon their release, the trio is accused of turning their attention to the world outside, targeting unoccupied homes for their illicit activities.

In May, the group allegedly broke into an empty house in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. Despite their audacious attempt, their haul was modest: 200 yen (US$1.3) in cash and three bottles of whisky valued at a total of 10,000 yen (US$65). Undeterred, the trio is suspected of striking again the following month, this time making off with 24 pieces of jewellery worth a staggering one million yen (US$6,400) from another vacant residence in the same area.

As news of the elderly gang’s alleged crimes spread, they quickly became a viral sensation, capturing the public’s imagination with their unusual profile.