Police officer arrested for entering womens changing room whilst guarding Fukushima disaster area

A Hokkaido Prefectural Police officer was arrested in Fukushima Prefecture on the 7th of February 2025 on suspicion of trespassing whilst attempting to commit an act of voyeurism.

Officer Shunsuke Chiba (24) was stationed in Fukushima as part of a security detail deployed to the region following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster.

Chiba was posted to the Fukushima disaster area, which requires a police presence to prevent entry by civilians

According to police reports, Chiba entered the women’s changing room of a bath house at a hotel in Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, where he was staying with other officers.

He admitted to the trespassing charges, stating that he entered the changing room to “satisfy his sexual desires”.

Communal changing and shower facilities are found in all onsen/bath house facilities

The incident came to light when a teenage female guest discovered Chiba in the changing room after taking a bath. Upon confronting him, Chiba fled the scene.

The victim was shocked to find the male officer in the women’s changing room after taking a bath

Chiba was part of a special security unit deployed to Fukushima by the Hokkaido Prefectural Police.

His unit is however separate from Fukushima Prefectural Police’s “Ultra Police Squad”, which is a contingent of officers from various police departments across the country that are seconded to Fukushima to guard the disaster area.

Hokkaido Police will be carrying out an investigation into the officers actions

The Hokkaido Prefectural Police Inspector’s Office has issued a statement acknowledging the seriousness of the situation: “This is a case currently under investigation by the Fukushima Prefectural Police. We will deal strictly with the facts that have come to light and take appropriate disciplinary action”.

Sexual harassment is one of Japan’s most prominent societal issues, with cases such as voyeurism sadly a frequent occurrence that often disproportionately affects women as in this case.

Source: Yahoo News via Asahi Shimbun