Authorities in the Japanese city of Fukuoka have installed an “anti-voyeurism” mirror in a subway station in a bid to stop the rising number of cases in the bustling Tenjin entertainment area.
The mirror, affixed beside an escalator at the Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) station, has a wide field of view to enable commuters to spot voyeurs or those taking upskirt photos, according to the online News on Japan. It was donated by the We Love Tenjin Council, a community group made up of local businesses.
“Unfortunately, voyeurism is still happening daily. We hope this mirror will help reduce the number of victims and allow people to use the station with peace of mind,” Stationmaster Akiko Yamaguchi told Nippon TV on Wednesday.
There were 110 reported cases of voyeurism in Fukuoka prefecture from January to the end of June – 10 more than in the same period last year, police told the national broadcaster. Escalators or staircases were the voyeurs’ favourite hunting grounds.
A 43-year-old Tokyo firefighter was arrested for filming a woman at a railway station in Chiba prefecture, the Tokyo Reporter news website reported on Friday.
Tatsunori Saika, a firefighter at the Kanamachi Fire Station, allegedly hid his smartphone in a business bag to take tosatsu (voyeur) videos up a woman’s skirt on an escalator at Abiko Station at about 9.40pm on July 16.
