A bit of disappointing news for anime fans, especially those who love the late-night anime program called “K-ON!” (けいおん！) which started to air in April 2010. The school depicted in K-ON! is modeled after the old Toyosato Elementary School in Toyosato which has subsequently drawn many fans to visit the school.

At around 1:15 am on Nov. 17, 2010, the security alarm in the old Toyosato Elementary School’s former library (Shutoku Ki’nenkan 舎酬徳記念館) sounded. The Hikone Police responded and found 22 figurines based on the K-ON anime stolen along with a portable cash safe containing almost 300,000 yen and three guitars modeled after those used in the anime series. A glass window in the north side of the building was found broken and multiple culprits were involved.

The good news is that some of the stolen goods were recovered in a rice paddy near the school two days later on Nov. 19. Footprints of multiple culprits were left at where the stolen goods were found. The three stolen guitars were recovered, but the portable cash safe was empty. The burglars are still at large.