A Japanese cultivator of bonsai trees appealed on Tuesday for the thieves who made off with his expensive potted plants to take good care of them.
Seiji Iimura, a fifth-generation bonsai cultivator who runs a garden in Kawaguchi, north of Tokyo, told AFP the seven tiny trees stolen from his garden were his "family treasure".
"It's something I would never sell even if I got 10 million yen (USD 90,000)," he said.
"Of course I hate the thief who stole them, but I want to tell him or her: please pour water on them and please take care of them," Iimura said. "I would feel sad if they die."