A 42-year-old police officer from the Kanagawa prefectural police department has been arrested for filming up a woman’s skirt.
According to police, the incident occurred just past 8 p.m. on Sunday at Ebina Station on the Odakyu Line, Fuji TV reported. The suspect, identified as Tomoya Kitahara, a sergeant at Aoba police station, was caught filming under the skirt of a 23-year-old woman while riding the escalator at the station.
Kitahara was using a small camera hidden in his bag to take upskirt images of his unsuspecting victim. However, another police officer on patrol at the station caught Kitahara in the act.
Police said Kitahara has admitted to the charge.
© Japan Today
33 Comments
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Swift_Justice
The panty vending machines used to be more prevelant.
John Brown
I am glad it was another police officer who caught the offender. It shows cops are still there to protect and serve even if it is against their own ranks.
-"doesn't Japan have panty vending machines?"
-"No."
-"This is a myth."
And I have heard of "vending machines" with used panties, but like other unique vending machines I had heard so much about, I never found them. However I did find used panties in "capsule toy machines" outside an adult store... That was awkward... Maybe they used the term "vending machines", instead of "capsule toys" by mistake?
toshiko
hi, stranger,, still police story.
Toasted Heretic
Depends on context. Voyeurism is a no no, that's for sure. If it's a show, burlesque or a parade there should be no real problem. But then, some people get very upset at seeing bras and panties.
jonobugs
There have always been shops, books and videos where you could buy things of this nature. Now, you can have instant access via the internet. The only reason to film stuff yourself is for the thrill. Perhaps people enjoy doing something like this with the danger of being caught. It's the only reason I can think of to understand why people risk doing something like this when no risk is necessary. Personally, I can't see what the big deal is seeing a bit of panties.
jcapan
I've never seen one either (12 years) but I've never gone in search of the white whale either. But I will attest to the generally deviant vibe in Higashi Osaka. If anyplace in Japan has such machines...
Strangerland
20 years in Japan, living in both the inaka and in Tokyo, and I've never seen one.
But you did provide some pictures. So I guess they do exist. But I'd say they are pretty rare.
Alex Einz
Strangeland,
There are panty vending machines in Osaka ( atleast in higashi Osaka ), I also saw some before in Tokyo.
Maybe you live at some inaka, then it makes more sense to have a tofu vending machine.
Moderator
Back on topic please.
Strangerland
Heh, my comment that the vending machines don't exist certainly caused some controversy - 9 votes each up and down! Rare to get a comment that gets that much voting. Nine people apparently didn't want to hear the truth. Nine others knew it for the truth.
Toasted Heretic
This is a myth. And even if it were true, that and people wearing short skirts should not be an invitation for voyeurism and other unwarrented behaviour.
Daryl
I believe this is an easy way to instantly get out of the police force with full pay and full police pension.
Daryl
I think this is a way for the officers to instantly quit their job because they hate it, and probably they even still get payed for the rest of the year + full police pension. It's such a minor crime that the offense is hardly punishable, yet instant dismissal from service. Smart yet not very moral.
redfender
Well, eventhough that police feller did something as monumentally stupid as that, he did admit it and didn't try to skirt the issue. Now let us hope he will be washing dishes at GUSTO.
lomae
Report them to who, their mothers?
The same place you'd report any crime. The police obviously...
bobsap
Jesus...another one?
Yokota
"using a small camera hidden in his bag to take upskirt images of his unsuspecting victim. "
NOT AGAIN, thirsty and dusty
mmwkdw
Is there any difference between the act of taking a picture/film and/or taking a quick glance upwards as the girls go up the escalator ?
albaleo
Report them to who, their mothers?
wowyz
":Police said Kitahara has admitted to the charge."
Good now get him the j-legacy help he duly needs
Jonathan Prin
I imagine that policeman felt he had privileges to do that.
It may also be because policemen spend time wandering and scrutinizing people hence getting attracted eventually to what is most pleasant to their instinct.
It seems surprising to me how he could have been forced to open his bag and show he was doing this. You don't need any effort to find upskirts in escalators with a camera under waist technically.
I get confused about the treatment to those "kind" pervs compare to the ones who hurt their victims who sometimes are not even listened to.
Skirts are made open in the air and very short ones you could see are sent as strong signals to some, in particular in a country where you have social limitations for relationships between men and women.
For Kanagawa, perhaps it is because some reas are very administrative with lacks of natural relationships ?
Thanks Japan Today to keep publishing articles so Japanese like this one.
fuzzylogic
"Police officer arrested for filming up woman’s skirt at train station"
Lot of skirts at train stations for humpty dumpty, and Jack and Jill.
sir_bentley28
I get a ticket for a rolling stop and the cops see me as a lawbreaker, but they do this type of things. So who is the criminal? As I stated before, I really think the J-police should rethink their training stratergies, methods and public manner. Because the public is getting a lot of negative images and ideas of and about the police of late.
Monozuki
Waggish and farcical.
lomae
I'm pretty sure I've read this same title a few times already this year. I guess this kind of thing will only increase as short skirts become more widespread during summer. Let's be vigilant and help spot these creeps and report them.
Harry_Gatto
When I read the headline I thought to myself, "I'll bet it's Kanagawa-ken again" and I was right. Must be either something in the air there or the shortest skirts in the country.
jcapan
Mike, I think the group/tribe you're looking for is the keisatsu. They're all native ... Japanese that is..
I always think people here tend to fetishize oddest things. Taxi cab drivers and their white gloves is one that springs to mind. Remember that one definition of fetish is:
an object (such as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner; broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence (Merriam Websters)
Another lesser known definition is "a rite or cult of fetish worshippers." If that doesn't describe a good % of Japanese men, I don't know what does.
Strangerland
No.
Mike L
I have a theory on this. It's like sociologists or anthropologists who spend a long time with a group/tribe whose behaviour shocks them at first but over time they "go native" and start to accept the group's values.
These poor cops deal with chikan day in and day out so it's only natural a few cops "go native". Better excuse than "I was drunk and don't remember a thing". Maybe.
nedotjp
This happens so often with Japanese Police officers in recent years, its becoming... not news
TumbleDry
Why doing it? Perv himself and/or sell the images. There is a niche. Probably less risky to hire a 'victim'.
theFu
The power of the white panties?
I don't get it either, but doesn't Japan have panty vending machines?
sensei258
Not being much of a perv, I don't understand why so many guys risk so much to do this kinda thing