In Japan, a strange but smart anti-crime tool is quietly helping stores, banks, and even hotels to stay safe. These tools are not high-tech machines or secret alarms. They are small, round, bright orange paintballs called bohan yo kara boru, which means “anti-crime color balls.” Though they may look like toys, they are used to fight crime in a very clever way.
These orange paintballs are kept behind the counters of convenience stores and banks. If a robbery happens, the idea is simple. A store worker or clerk throws the ball at the robber, or near them, as they try to run away.
The paintball breaks open when it hits something, and the bright orange paint splashes everywhere. It stains the criminal’s clothes, body, or even their vehicle. The color is very bright and hard to wash off, so it becomes easy for police or the public to spot the person.
“It’s very difficult to blend in with a bright orange splatter all over your body,” said a Tokyo police officer. “People notice, and they report.”
Even though these paintballs are rarely used, their real strength is in scaring criminals before anything happens. When a thief sees one of these orange balls behind the counter, they may think twice before doing anything wrong. Just the sight of the paintball sends a strong message: “You will be marked.”
According to The Japan Times, during the first six months of 2007, there were 230 late-night robberies at convenience stores. Out of those stores, 197 had these paintballs ready. But only 7 stores actually used them. That is just 3 percent. This shows that most people don’t throw the balls even when a robbery happens.
Experts say that in a robbery, people are often too scared to move or fight back. Some freeze, others are afraid they might make the situation worse.
Still, many stores keep these balls behind the counter. The idea is not to always use them but to make the criminal feel nervous. Most robbers want to escape quietly. They don’t want to be marked with bright paint and chased down by police.
This idea started many years ago with something very different. In the past, toll-booth workers used to throw raw eggs at cars that tried to drive through without paying. The eggs would break and cover the car in a mess, which made it easier for police to find them later. But eggs could be washed off, and some people thought it was wrong to waste food.
Then someone had a better idea. Why not use colored paint instead of eggs? Paint is not food, and it sticks to things better. This idea worked, and soon, the use of color paintballs spread from toll booths to police stations, banks, and convenience stores.
Now, these orange balls are found not just in stores but also in hotels, gas stations, and even with the Japanese Marine Self-Defense Forces.
Some people worry that store clerks can’t hit a fast-moving thief. But the good thing is, they don’t have to. These paintballs explode in a wide area up to 10 meters when they hit the ground. So even if you don’t hit the robber directly, you can still cover them in paint if you aim near their feet or at their car.
The only problem is that the paint inside these balls can dry out after a few years, so they need to be replaced regularly to work well. Even if most people never throw these paintballs, they still do their job. They stop many crimes before they happen.
A store manager in Osaka said, “They send a strong message before any crime takes place. Most robbers don’t even want to take the risk.”
These simple tools are not fancy or expensive. But they show how smart thinking can help keep people safe. In a country like Japan, where crime is already very low, even small things like orange paintballs can make a big difference.
