FUSHIKI MINATO, Toyama Pref. -- While the Fushiki Chamber of Commerce has stepped up efforts in recent years to improve relations with Russian visitors, a number of thefts in the town have left some residents wondering if cars, and the ruble, would be better left as rubble.

Shoplifting at one local store became so bad that the owner installed an antitheft detector two years ago.

"Even so, I can't count the number of times the device has been triggered," he said. "One problem with Fushiki port is its closeness to the town."

The owner of a local camera store also said he had fallen victim to thefts by Russians.

"It got so bad that the honest ones started to leave their bags by the door, and button up their jackets before coming in," he said.

Akira Nakayama, manager of the Fushiki branch of the Takaoka Chamber of Commerce, said that while incidents of theft seem to have increased, exchanges to improve understanding was a sure remedy.

Among the chamber's activities are the release of a Russian-Japanese manual to make communication between store owners and shoppers easier and a recent project giving local businesspeople the chance to attend "cultural exchange" events aboard Russian ships.

"Through these activities, I think trust will deepen and 'Russia' will become a key word in Fushiki," Nakayama said.

But his enthusiasm is not shared by one store owner: "When the used-car business was thriving, they (Russians) had money to spend at stores in town. Now they just take things," he said, adding that bicycles chained to signposts are among Russians' favorite souvenirs.

"There is little trust for Russians in Fushiki," he added.