Surprise!
Surprise! Nick Saltmarsh/CC BY 2.0

Shigeta Miura really hated Boy Scouts. Now 40 years old, the Tokyo resident was bullied by his fellow troop members. But Miura has had his revenge—for over a year, he’s been sending anonymous boxes to his former tormenters, packed full of smelly, soggy retribution.

According to Japan Today, over the course of 14 months, Miura “sent more than 500 garbage items by mail.” These included such classics as rotten tea leaves, dirt, and old underwear.

In order to escape detection, Miura would package the garbage, write a random destination on the box, and put his target’s info as the return address. Then he would fail to apply a stamp, ensuring that the package would be returned to the “sender.” In a way, it was almost as though the recipients had shipped the garbage to themselves.

Police have arrested Miura, who admitted to the charges, cementing his status as 2016’s premiere garbage person. Former bullies, watch your backs and your mailboxes this holiday season.

Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.