Watch: Jewellery shop employee wields ancient samurai weapon at robbers

An ancient samurai weapon has emerged as a hero after an employee at a jewellery shop in Tokyo wielded it to thwart an attempted robbery and gave the three robbers a chase, as they fled.

The weapon, which was invented by samurai warriors hundreds of years ago, is called the sasumata and looks like a pole with two prongs attached to the end.

After the attempted robbery's footage was released, it attracted massive attention on online platforms. As the video went viral, an auto parts manufacturer, which has been making the forked pole, reported that he received multiple requests for the traditional weapon.

In the video, a store employee, who was donning a white shirt and braces, was seen brandishing the sasumata to stop three men wearing motorcycle helmets from robbing the shop in the capital’s Taito ward.

He was then seen using the weapon to strike a motorcycle, which was presumed to be a getaway vehicle. The incident of robbing created a wave of interest, which as per the public broadcaster NHK, was first used by samurai warriors during the Edo period (1603-1868) for apprehending the criminals.

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The sasumata, apart from becoming a museum piece, was designed for restraining people without causing any serious injuries to them and is still used by Japan's police officers, NHK said.

It was reported by Japanese media that the two suspects were arrested over the incident of robbery which took place on Sunday, while they continued the search for the third person.

Orders flood for ancient samurai weapon

A firm in Tochigi prefecture, which is located north of Tokyo, has become the incident's unexpected beneficiary as it has been inundated with calls from people who wish to buy the weapon, reported NHK.

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The firm's employees have been using their metalworking skills to make sasumata and the firm confirmed that at one point it was able to sell only a few of them every month, however, they are now receiving nearly 10 orders a day.

Its range includes a weapon which releases a strong rubber band that wraps around the body of the assailant and stops their movement, while another is made using a lighter material which makes it easy to wield.

The company’s President Takemitsu Sano, however, said that sasumata should not be used to start a fight, emphasising that they were intended to be used for self-defence and have proved to be more effective in the hands of people who have been trained, reported NHK.

(With inputs from agencies)