Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
On April 12, an electrician contracted by the municipal government of Usuki to service their public restrooms was startled when he saw a human-shaped shadow while installing a light. The contractor contacted the city which then sent some officials and police to the lavatory located in Usuki Park.
They opened a 50-square-centimeter service hatch which allowed access to the wiring as well as a triangular attic above. Upon entering they found that the entire 92-square-meter crawlspace was surprisingly well-furnished with a space heater, gas stove, magazine, and various clothes.
Although the attic was only large enough to stand up in the center, everything was surprisingly clean and well organized. And right there in the middle of it all was the public restroom’s resident, an unidentified upper-middle-aged man standing in front of them.
After taking him into custody, they discovered the man to be 54-year-old Takashi Yamanouchi of Gifu Prefecture. Yamanouchi told police that he had left his home prefecture 10 years ago and drifted from place to place until making his way to Oita.
He discovered the restroom attic when he saw another person go into it and ended up living there with the person for a time. The other resident had since left, but Yamanouchi had been continuing living there for the past three years.
Perhaps most baffling about this incident is that among all of Yamanouchi’s furnishings, his attic was also full of over 300 plastic bottles of both the two liter (half gallon) and 500 milliliter (17 ounces) variety all of which were neatly organized and full of his urine.
It is unclear whether he did that out of some sort of respect for his toilet home, or if it was cautious acts such as this that let him remain there undetected for so long.
In the end, no matter how careful Yamanouchi could have been, it was only a matter of time before he would have been found out. However, now faced with trespassing charges, the question remains how he will be dealt with. A fine would seem pointless and prison would probably be an improvement.
Source: Yahoo! Japan News, Mainichi Shimbun
Read more stories from RocketNews24.
-- The baffling reason three men spent 30 minutes in an Akihabara restroom together
-- Saitama man robs 7-Eleven with knives, steals 3 onigiri
-- Chinese lingerie thief’s stash was so huge it broke the building he lived in
- External Link
- http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/04/24/man-arrested-for-living-above-a-public-toilet-in-oita-for-three-years/
18 Comments
Login to comment
lonelygaijin2001
And his crime ?
Peter Usojanai
Beating the system...
Yubaru
From the article:
Yet prison would hardly be an improvement over having his freedom taken from him.
theeastisred
Surely he must have left his lair at least once a day to look for food etc, so what could have been more convenient than to dispose of the contents of the PET bottles while he was about it? Maybe he was worried about cats intruding and wanted to scare them off.
thepersoniamnow
Prison would be an improvement? Who's logic is this?
serendipitous1
Must have been frustrating living above a toilet but not being able to use it! Couldn't he have popped down late each night and disposed of his urine collection?
Monozuki
I wonder why anyone hasn't long noticed that something smelled to high heaven about this man living in the restroom attic. At any rate, it's good thing the electrician has finally found it out. That said, this must have been a disappointing result for the man living in the special room.
Disillusioned
so, not only was he living in a toilet he was also hoarding his pee. This guy has some serious mental issues.
Cricky
Didn't cause trouble, didn't hurt or rob anyone insulate the place get him mental health visits. Cheeper than prison. Might actually be nice to leave him and his collection alone.
Goodlucktoyou
The pet bottles are clue to his mental health.
Kobe White Bar Owner
@ Goodlucktoyou
Totally agree, when i was younger i worked with homeless young adults and many who had serious emotional traumas, went through period of storing their urine in bottles even when they had functioning toilets in the room or near by.
Tokyo-Engr
Reading all the stories about people who have recently murdered their 4 year old child (murder suicide), killed family members, etc. I see no crime in what this guy has done. Arresting him would be foolish and would not be productive to anyone. To top it all off the guy seemed to take care of his surroundings and harmed no one (in spite of the fact he stored his urine he kept the surroundings clean).
Finding him whatever counseling he needs would be a good solution.
The world is full of homeless (regardless of country). The world is also full of abandoned or unused structures (whether they are abandoned businesses, apartment buildings, etc.). I have seen these in Japan and my home country. Perhaps these could be put to use to house some of these folks and maybe some of them would find their way back into the "mainstream". In the long run the overall cost to society may also be lower.
Regardless this guy is not a criminal.
sensei258
His inability to use it was only in his mind. This man need help, not incarceration.
gaijintraveller
What will his punishment be? A place to stay with room service and three meals a day at the taxpayers expense?
Pukey2
lonelygaijin2001:
Storing his urine in bottles when the toilets were only a few feet away. Or was it all for some sort of urine therapy?
MsDelicious
Bigger spread than most Japanese apartments.
602miko
Japan has housing for the less miserables, but this kind of situation kinda mentally ill. But surely there is no punishement for him maybe they will give him a proper place to live.