On Feb 12, it seems that a Japanese tourist inadvertently wandered into some off-limits areas during a visit to the castle – namely, the queen’s own private rooms. Her Majesty wasn’t home at the time of the intrusion, but the incident still prompted a wave of panic over the sightseeing interloper.
Armed police swooped in on the unarmed tourist when he accidentally went through an alarmed door to a restricted area. Reports state that the man entered an area used by servants and staff that connects directly to private apartments maintained for the use of the queen when she is staying at the castle. Following investigation into the incident, it is believed that the door was left unlocked by accident.
The unfortunate tourist was then subjected to a full search and an interrogation before being released a short while later after security staff deemed him “not a threat”. Since the official terror alert level for the UK is currently set at severe (meaning an attack is considered highly likely), the incident left those involved with red faces and led to extra pat-downs of other tourists to compensate for the blunder.
This isn’t the first time a commoner has gained access to the queen’s royal chambers – in 2011, a lorry driver managed to scale the castle walls and was apprehended by security less than 20 metres from the queen’s apartments. And who could forget the Michael Fagan incident of 1982, when a man broke into the castle in the dead of night and actually woke up the queen while she was sleeping.
Japanese netizens were quick to weigh in on the embarrassing incident, with many blaming their own countryman:
“Japan’s tourists, too, are idiots it seems.” “Don’t go all the way to England just to make a fool of yourself.” “I’m glad it was just a Japanese idiot and not a terrorist.” “We Japanese are the country of ninja, so there’s not a castle built we can’t sneak into.” “This is why Japanese people need tour guides when they leave their homeland.” “I learned two things… 1), Japanese people are bumbling idiots, and 2) UK security isn’t as good as you might think…” “Please forgive him, it was his ninja ancestry!” “It’s unforgivable to sneak into a lady’s chambers.” “At least lock the door, sheesh!” “How do we know it wasn’t a Japanese spy?” “When I was there they had Japanese on all the tourist signs and warnings. I guess he ignored them.” “This guy shouldn’t be allowed to travel abroad!”
Source: Daily Mail
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30 Comments
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Alistair Carnell
Probably trying to get hold of a pair of her majesty's knickers.
harvey pekar
I remember the story of the family in Arizona, America that were being told to pull over by the police chasing them, yet instead decided to speed up and go on a car chase because they didn't understand what was happening.
Is it possible the Japanese are the most naive tourists to go abroad?
I mean, if an American did this, he'd be the Ugly American. If a Chinese tourist did this, the experts on Japanese TV would decry his poor manners. If a Russian did this, he'd be a spy for Putin. If I did this, I'd be gang tackled then strapped to a chair and tortured a la Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.
It must be nice being Japanese and being given the benefit of the doubt every time.
Christopher Blackwell
I wonder what would happen if he had done the same thing in Japan and wandered into the Empress's chambers?
JohnBecker
Oops.
itsonlyrocknroll
Word around the grapevine it's that mascot character Funassyi running amok.
wtfjapan
would pay to see this tourist face as those big burly security decended on him/her... priceless
lucabrasi
Easy done.
I once wandered around security at Frankfurt airport and found myself on the wrong side of passport control. Still don't know how how I did it. And nobody noticed; I had to turn myself in to the least mean-looking cop.
Wc626
Honest mistake. But this guy kinda blotted out the negative feedback Chinese tourist just experienced here recently.
timbo
harvey pekar, get over it! It was an honest mistake! I'm sure worse things happen, equally newsworthy, for a chuckle, but we need not resort to condescending rhetoric-which ironically makes you 'the ugly American', an accusation that you bemoan like a child.
GW
Haha I liked this one!! LOL!
turbotsat
How could they not understand? The police don't use flashing lights to pull people over in their home country?
Ah_so
I know the spot at Frankfurt. It is easily done to find yourself the wrong side of passport control. I nearly did the same last year trying to find the customer enquiry counter.
But there is always a problem of dual purpose buildings. A friend of mine accidentally wandered from the tourist part of the UK's parliament and into the bit with the offices and MPs without having her ID checked. Years ago, but it shows the inherent weaknesses of security at these buildings.
UK9393
I took look round a fascinating building in Hakone, through an open door, well, it was unlocked. Previously summer homes of the imperial family. Ha, how I laugh NOW but at the time, those torches were many and bright.
Mocheake
Cavity search in the queen's chamber: a royal pain in the ass!
Mlodinow
So I guess there really is a need for the construction guys waving red sticks making sure people don't somehow wander into completely coned-off construction sites
Jim Kim
I lived in London, and been to Windsor plenty of times, considering the Tourist Windsor is, I wasn't even expecting the queen to actually live in there, I thought it was just an official statement. Poor Queen, I don't envy her!
DaDude
If this was such a big deal, where was the security in the first place especially if outsiders are touring this place?
igloobuyer
I noticed when walking around some Cotswolds villages signs in Japanese outside people's houses saying "please do not enter, this is private property". I didn't say signs in any other language.
itsonlyrocknroll
“We Japanese are the country of ninja, so there’s not a castle built we can’t sneak into.”
Sarcasm? Possibly a sage with a sense of humor laced with buffoonery, ridicule, and a modicum of wit.
It's not unknown for some of the palaces to be sectioned off with a length of fancy coloured rope. Its probable after a full body search the hapless tourists acute aversion to rotate door handles will last for weeks.
itsonlyrocknroll
Every year The Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April), known as Easter Court.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/theroyalresidences/windsorcastle/windsorcastle.aspx
Thunderbird2
I love this article... but please get it right, Queen should have a capital Q.
Elizabeth Heath
The other incidents mentioned in the article didn't happen at Windsor Castle but Buckingham Palace.
An easy mistake to make if you can't read the English signs, but tourists of all nations do have a rather naive mindset that the places they are visiting is just some kind of theme park, not a real place where people live and work. There are Japanese only signs in both the Cotswold's and the Lake District reminding visitors not to go into private houses - it's baffling that they think they are props of some kind. I once worked at St Thomas's hospital in London, which is on the south bank of the Thames directly across the river from Parliament, and we would often find tourists trying to get into wards and areas that faced Parliament so they could get a better photo from a window.
Kevin Davis
Damn puzzle and dragon must have had wifi in the palace
Micheal Rhian Driscoll
accidents happen. the tourist is not to blame, but i'm sure there's going to be a rather uncomfortable conversation at someone's next performance review.
Chop Chop
He was just looking for HM Queen and to get her autograph.
CGB Spender
He's not a fool! I congratulate him for making it into the queen's bedroom, a place most people will never be able to enter.
PSandoz
I know this story is said to have been sourced from the Daily Mail (a paper known for its scandal-rousing and exaggerations), but doesn't anybody, either on the Mail or on Japan Today do any basic fact checking? First, nobody, as far as I can find out, scaled Windsor Castle walls in 2011, although a burglar did break in to Buckingham Palace in 2013. And Second, in 1982, Michael Fagan also illegally entered Buckingham Palace -- not Windsor Castle -- and, apparently, got as far as the Queen's bedroom. It seems like the old journalistic saw of "never let the truth get in the way of a good story" is still alive and active.
itsonlyrocknroll
This lucky Japanese tourist wandered into a slice of English history and as half Brit there is nothing to stir one noble heritage as a subject of the crown than, wait the French recite oh so well, L'Angleterre, ah, la perfide Angleterre, que le rempart de ses mers rendait inaccessible aux Romains, la foi du Sauveur y est abordée. Perfidious Albion. Comrade Jimizo is probably blowing a gasket.
toshiko
We Japanese are the country of ninja, so there’s not a castle built we can’t sneak into
Probably joking. Ninjas speciality was go underneath of house, then use their ears to listen to lord's and his executives' (Karou) conversations. Or probably people who are not familiar with Japanese feudal era history. Any samurai descendents )Shizoku) people know that. So just joking by a person who watch Ninja Turtle Anime.
tinawatanabe
Sarcasm?