Actor learnt to climb walls for movie stunts, then started stealing from dozens of homes. His identity left people shocked when police caught him

A Japanese stunt performer who once used his physical skills to portray superheroes in later years of his life turned those same abilities into tools for burglary, breaking into dozens of homes and stealing valuables worth around 8.2 million yen. Yasutomo Ihara, who used to work as a stuntman and suit actor in Japan's Super Sentai franchise, became known as the “Spider-Man Thief” after police linked him to a series of break-ins across Saitama Prefecture.

His case, reported by publications including Screen Rant and The Mary Sue, became a highlight because of the unusual way he allegedly used skills developed during his entertainment career.

Super Sentai stunt actor

Ihara used to work behind the mask in Super Sentai, the Japanese superhero franchise that later gave most of the action footage that was used in the popular American Power Rangers series.


Stunt performers were responsible for many of the physically demanding sequences involving the costumed characters, including fight scenes and acrobatic movements. Ihara was among those performers, but there is no reliable evidence that he specifically played or performed as the Green Ranger, as some media reports claim to be the case.

Unlike the American actors who appeared in scenes that had spoken dialogue, Japanese stunt performers mostly remained anonymous to international audiences. Their work, however, has been very important in creating action sequences.

Sadly, Ihara's career came to an end because he has suffered a knee injury in the year 2009. According to the reports, the injury left him struggling to find stable work and eventually led him to face financial difficulties.

How the stuntman became the “Spider-Man Thief”

Several years after his stunt career ended, Ihara began carrying out burglaries.

Between late 2013 and 2014, he targeted at least 43 homes in Japan, according to reports cited by The Mary Sue and his method relied heavily on his physical ability.

Rather than simply entering homes through easily accessible doors or windows, Ihara reportedly climbed walls and nearby poles before reaching upper-floor balconies and windows. His background as a stunt performer gave him the climbing and agility skills needed to reach locations that could be difficult for an other ordinary burglar.

That unusual method eventually earned him the nickname “Spider-Man Thief” in Japanese media.

He stole millions of yen

Police eventually arrested Ihara in 2014. Reports said he admitted to stealing cash and other valuables worth more than 8 million yen, with the total reported to be approximately 8.2 million yen.

Reports state that at the time, that amount was almost equivalent to roughly $77,000.

The stolen money was not reportedly intended simply for personal spending. According to The Mary Sue, Ihara had planned to use the proceeds to enrol in a professional acting school, with the hope of returning to the entertainment industry.

Ihara's criminal case eventually resulted in a prison sentence of five years after he was convicted of these crimes in 2020.