Police in Sapporo have arrested a 32-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of violating the anti-nuisance law after he used his smartphone camera to film up a 20-year-old woman’s skirt on an escalator at a subway station in Sapporo.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 8 p.m. Friday at Sapporo Station, Hokkaido Broadcasting Corp reported. The woman noticed the man doing something suspicious behind her and sought help from station staff.
Station staff detained the man until police arrived. Police said the man has admitted to the allegation and they are examining the contents of his smartphone to see if he has taken other upskirt video images.
© Japan Today
64 Comments
sakurasuki
At least he remembered!
Jay
Another day, another bizarre sex crime. These offenses seem to occur with such alarming frequency the Crime page ought to have its own Voyeur section.
Question to the audience: Have any academics/sociology majors ever looked at why this is, and perhaps if there are any social/cultural factors that contribute to such a comparatively high prevalence of up-skirting and general voyeurism over here?
Strangerland
It's a human thing, not specific to Japan, so I would be surprised if there weren't any such studies somewhere in the world.
Jay
Not unique to Japan, but every other country I've lived or spent any significant amount of time in, such crimes are rare.
The sheer prevalence at which it occurs here irrefutably make it somewhat of a uniquely Japanese phenomenon.
The question is: why is that?
Laguna
Given that the man is unemployed, perhaps he was selling them online. Some find a particular kink in the thrill of voyeurism.
Legrande
JayToday 07:33 am JST
Another day, another bizarre sex crime. These offenses seem to occur with such alarming frequency the Crime page ought to have its own Voyeur section.
Question to the audience: Have any academics/sociology majors ever looked at why this is, and perhaps if there are any social/cultural factors that contribute to such a comparatively high prevalence of up-skirting and general voyeurism over here?
These videos and images are often uploaded to porn sites, where they encourage others to follow suit.
AJ
Because you're on Japan Today, which posts articles on a steady stream when someone is arrested for it in Japan. It is technically not a crime in some US states, and people who get caught are often not prosecuted.
The UK criminalized upskirting in 2019 and they have started to make a lot of arrests, but it seems to only make news if it is particularly heinous or a politician.
Quo Primum
What is your evidence that this sort of offense happens with "such alarming frequency"? Reading about one such incident every now and then on this news site hardly constitutes "alarming frequency."
I read Japan Today pretty regularly, and I don't see that these offenses are bfing reported with "alarming frequency" or even every day. So, your "analysis" is flawed.
It happens everywhere, but it's actually reported here in the media in a way that in other places it typically isn't.
Seems you're letting media attention guide your "analysis" here. Very flawed.
Strangerland
Are they? What are the numbers? I think you probably are just speaking to your subconscious confirmation bias, without realizing it.
Strangerland
I refute.
And seeing as I put as much evidence into my refutation as you did into your assertion, we've clearly canceled each other out.
Redemption
spank bank?
Mark
I have looked into sexual crimes in Japan because most of the women I know have been victims.
There are some papers and investigative journalism in English and Japanese. There are several books in Japanese that you might be able to hunt down.
I'm sad to say it is a bigger problem in Japan and in South Korea than anywhere else I have heard of. An incident like the one in this news story, from my understanding, happens hundreds of times a day but it is not reported or even noticed by most people. I have seen it myself on several occasions. They are very good at hiding what they are doing.
That's not to say it doesn't happen elsewhere, just not on the same scale as in Japan. It's the same with sexual assault on public transport (often called 'chikan').
Strangerland
How much bigger? What are the numbers?
Old Sausage
In Japan, police made more than 5,000 arrests for clandestine photography in 2023, a record number and about three times the cases in 2010. Plus the cases that are not reported or when unnoticed, I add.
Mark
That's simply false, it is a crime in the US and every developed nation. While the laws vary by state it's a crime in all states of the US. I've checked. At the federal level, the United States enacted the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004 to punish those who intentionally make an image of an individual’s private areas without consent, when the person knew the subject expected privacy.
You cannot accurately judge the rate of crime by the number of times you see it in the news in any nation and few crimes of the total committed are ever reported even to the police, let alone to the public via the media and it would be naive to suggest so.
Mark
Plenty of evidence online for this interest in this issue is quite uniquely serious in Japan. It's a large-scale business as shown in a recent BBC documentary. The videos are sold in Japan and in China.
Search:
Catching the men who sell subway groping videos - BBC News
It has been illegal in the US since 2004 but only since the middle of last year in Japan.
Search:
Japan to ban upskirting & capturing sexual acts without consent - Mothership.SG -
There has been a massive uptick in cases of upskirt photography in Japan possibly due to it becoming part of the video pron industry.
Search:
Japan records surge in upskirt photography
(newsonjapan.com)
Mark
Yes, plenty of news articles on this.
You are going to get a lot of resistance to talking about there being a high rate of sexual crime in Japan I'm afraid Old Sausage as some people have very deeply held beliefs about Japan being safe for women.
Strangerland
Or is that just confirmation bias? Without numbers we cannot know.
Redemption
Mark, I agree with you but realistically what can an eager beaver foreigner do? If you violently intervene you are liable to be misunderstood, linguistically dominated and even arrested. In my opinion, if you see a pervert you can yell in a very loud voice something like "chikan yamete!" If you have other ideas that will avoid me being involved with the police here in any way shape or form, I am all eyes. BR.
Strangerland
Yes. Do NOT physically intervene.
Mark
Numbers in Japan are highly unreliable for several reasons though as stated in several news articles last year numbers of upskirt photography recorded by the goby have tripped in just 3 years or so.
There are a number of ways to assess the rate of a particular crime other than through official statistics.
For example, in Japan, it is estimated by various groups that less than 5% of all sexual assaults are never recorded so you can't go off the stats.
You can use victim surveys, offender self-reports, observational studies, hospital records, insurance claims, social media analysis etc.
zibala
I've physically intervened, and was thanked by the female, her husband, and police.
Mark
If it's something you care about, like myself, you can try to make it more well-known online and with people you know especially if they are going to Japan. This type of crime and sexual assault on public transport is shockingly just a normal thing in Japan and something to put up with most people going to Japan do not realise the risk they face.
Japan's problem with subway groping | DW News (youtube.com)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbj_iu_8Lso&t=5s
This hurts some people ai know, but research by a number of groups shows that Japan has the highest rate of this type of crime in the world.
Here is a video by a well-known Japanese YouTuber who goes over some of that research:
Molestation on Trains is NO JOKE in Japan (youtube).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dajKNczCPRscom)
I love Japan by the way but this is something about Japan that MUST be cleaned up because there are a lot of women suffering out there and it could damage Japan's image even further if more is not done.
Strangerland
Oh, you have no numbers. So you just feel like it's a worse problem in Japan...
The scientific community applauds at your diligence.
Strangerland
You were lucky. The police here in Japan are less interested in figuring out who is in the right/wrong, and more interested in keeping the peace. Physically intervening in Japan is an easy way to spend a night in jail trying to explain yourself.
I've intervened many times - with my voice. I speak Japanese though. If you don't speak Japanese, even that can be a little risky.
Jonathan Prin
Upskirts are for the immature.
At the same time, calling the taking of a photo a crime because purportedly numbers have gone through the roof is fallacious.
First, men will always be men. It will not stop. It has been ongoing since the existence of portable camera.
Second, Japanese are no gentlemen, in a society where there is so little exchanges between women and men, while a high level of closeness otherwise in many cases (reason it is so common perhaps as a phenomenon IMHO).
Third, there is no harm truth be told. Safe Japan. Calling it a crime while an offense is just for the media.
ian
Still winter and this was in Sapporo, dude must have been really desperate. Surely must be rare for people to wear just panties under askirt at this time?
Redemption
Just as a data point, I have commuted in Tokyo on the Hibiya line for about 15 years morning and night except during coronavirus, and I saw/heard 2 instances of chikan. In one case the woman appeared to grab the man's hand and he was an otonashii type so just stood there, and in the second the guy was a runner. In both cases the trains were so packed that I couldn't even scratch my ballz so there is nothing most people could do. Frankly overcrowding is the largest part of the problem providing opportunity and cover.
Mark
It's easy to say when you are someone who cannot be a victim aye Jon.
It's precisely this attitude towards upskirt photography and sexual crimes in general that makes it so prevalent in Japan and why the laws are so weak against it.
Here's a brief explanation of why upskirt photography is a serious crime:
Invasion of Privacy:
It's a gross violation of a person's privacy, taking photos of them without their knowledge or permission.
Sexual Exploitation:
These photos are often used for sexual gratification or shared without consent, exploiting the victim's body and published for money.
Emotional Distress:
Victims experience severe humiliation, fear, and potential long-term trauma.
Toxic Culture:
It normalises objectification and contributes to a culture where sexual harassment is more likely to occur.
Strangerland
Underreporting of crimes of this nature happens in all countries.
There is no logical debate that takes place without some numbers and data to support the assertions being made. Otherwise there is no way to distinguish confirmation bias from an actual problem.
You have to show there is an actual problem, for one to be able to put their head in the sand to ignore it.
I will agree with you that Japan, as with every country, could do more to protect its women.
I'm not the one who made the assertion in a public forum that I'm unable to support. I'm just asking what evidence you came to in support of your conclusion, and it appears that you have clarified that it's mostly just feeling.
Tom
It seems the poster provided evidence. Did you see that?
HopeSpringsEternal
Analysts do market research on unreported crime, send out surveys, etc. Apparently, Japan's pretty high in these rankings. Seems building crime wave across world given sustained HIGH Prices falling inflation adjusted wages.
ian
Yes maybe. But it would be easier to just post here your rankings
HopeSpringsEternal
Referring sources of unreported crime below, not a specific source to be quoted.
Strangerland
If it's unreported, then how can you know about it? That would indicate it's been reported, right?
ian
You mentioned rankings.
You mentioned analysts, market researches.
An example at least?
HopeSpringsEternal
One can search JT for figures on unreported crimes. Again, simply sharing SOURCES for figures, frequently quoted in relevant JT articles and media more broadly.
Strangerland
Wouldn't that make them reported?
Strangerland
Does anyone at least have a comparison of the numbers of unreported incidents in Japan vs. other countries?
wallace
HopeSpringsEternal
Most of the published articles on JT have a license life of less than one month and then are no longer available. Not a reliable source for unreported crime.
Any survey would have to include the annual figures issued by the NPA.
ian
Yes I'm asking you to simply share your sources.
Just one single individual quote of those sources frequently quoted in JT articles and other media
wallace
The majority of sex crimes in the majority of countries go unreported because of the personal trauma involved by those who suffer it. A rape victim had to report her assault to male police officers. Day in court having the victim reveal every part of their life.
HopeSpringsEternal
Read ANY solid article about unreported crimes and they'll quote their sources, hopefully reputable market research firms with good survey work!
Strangerland
Are we just supposed to take your word for that?
Strangerland
Ok and how does that article say that unreported crime differs in comparison to unreported crimes in other countries?
Tom
Yes, but there are degrees of underreporting and Japan is comparatively severe.
There's plenty online about this you can't expect anyone on here to convince you of this if you are not really interested in finding out yourself.
HopeSpringsEternal
It's not my word or job, rather it's work performed by those researching and analyzing unreported crimes. Must make your own determination as to veracity of the article and their market research sourcing judgment, quality of their survey work etc.
wallace
HopeSpringsEternal
several comments on unreported crime but unable to post a single source.
Tom
It's not their job. Mark posted several resources below.
Please do your research.
HopeSpringsEternal
you asked about the SOURCES of unreported crime and I answered, research firms conducting surveys, that are QUOTED in articles within media as the SOURCES.
So have at it, read relevant articles on unreported crimes and analyze their SOURCES = Usually private market research firms conducting surveys as I constructively informed you based on YOUR inquiry requesting such info. Refresh your memory below!
Strangerland
I haven't seen a single stat posted in this thread, much less a link to support that stat.
Strangerland
I wouldn't say I've asked questions, as much as pointed out how certain assertions are not supported by any numbers to show whether or not they are based in fact, or just confirmation bias.
Tom
You are not going to get a 'stat' that satisfies this demand for people to be convinced of the problem of underreporting of sexual crimes like this anywhere Strangerland. It;'s not something that is ever done for one thing, mainly because why would you?
However, if you look at some of the articles I've linked below and some from Mark you can develop a better understanding that way.
These articles have some statistics and govt reports.
Strangerland
Huh? Every country has underreporting of sexual crimes. If there is a reporting on the degree of the unreporting in Japan, there must be reports on the degree of underreporting in other countries too.
People are claiming this is a Japan specific problem, without showing how their conclusion isn't just made from confirmation bias. I didn't make the claim, so I'm not going to spend time proving it or disproving it, if they are too lazy to even come up with the point they are claiming. I'm happy to just point out that their conclusions cannot be determined to not be confirmation bias, and may in fact not be based in actual numbers.
Strangerland
Ok, do those links say something that supports your point? What do they say the unreported numbers in Japan are compared to unreported numbers in other countries?
Tom
Yes.
This Youtuber does state that and proves the evidence.
Molestation on Trains is NO JOKE in Japan - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dajKNczCPRs
If it's the comparison with other countries that irks you, perhaps just accept that underreporting is a problem in Japan and just don't mention other countries, then we can move on to address the issue of such crime itself.
Cheers
Moderator
All readers, back on topic please. Other countries' crime rates are not relevant to this story.
Legrande
Harassing/molesting women in public spaces is a fetish in Japan, there are even adult shops that recreate a train compartment replete with "unsuspecting young female" so that one can play out one's chikan desires.
Tom
Thank you moderator I agree. Let's move on to talk about the issue of upskirt photography and why it is surging and how it might be stopped.
TokyoLiving
Read real statistics instead of nonsense whining..
HopeSpringsEternal
Suggest to better understand, need to read research produced by these private market research firms survey work. They're busy helping Police Depts. in Japan and globally, better understand trends in unreported crimes, all categories, including crimes of perversion in this article.
HopeSpringsEternal
I'd also add, police and their outside research firms, seek to MUCH better understand the perpetrators. What about them often convinces victims to not report?
Researchers thus spend time interviewing and surveying with these sex perverts to better equip society and police to better detect their crimes and the victims who fail to report such crimes. It's rather important and difficult work we should all better appreciate.
Profiling based on above, best prevention; single middle-aged man with no friends, no kids, rather homely in appearance, physically not strong and generally not trusted by others would be a simplified profile of a sex pervert.
HopeSpringsEternal
I'd offer being more proactive, as an Ounce of prevention worth a Pound of cure the old saying goes!
JT helping with article building public awareness. Police, schools and others in media etc. need to educate better!
HopeSpringsEternal
Too many alienated in society, not getting married, too few kids, technology advances, new digital porn markets, etc. there's clear casualty here to many larger social issues plaguing society.