Tokyo Metropolitan Police Arrest Tanning Shop Owner on Illegal Filming Charges
20s Female Customer Suspicious of Shutter Sound Installs Phone
Foot-Level Filming Captured...Suspect Admits Charges
A man in his 60s who operated a tanning shop in Japan has sparked controversy after it was revealed that he took nude photos of over 100 female customers over 30 years. On the 9th, the Asahi Shimbun reported that "the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested the shop owner Hiroki Yamamoto (62) on charges of illegally filming the bodies of female customers at a tanning shop in Tokyo." Yamamoto is accused of taking photos with his cellphone of a woman in her 20s who was inside a tanning machine in a nude state at his shop around 4 p.m. on August 6.
The woman was a returning customer who had visited the tanning shop before and found it suspicious to hear sounds of curtains opening and shutter clicks during her previous visit. When she revisited the tanning shop, she had pre-installed a cellphone near her head, and the footage reportedly captured Yamamoto illegally filming from under her feet. After the woman reported the incident, Yamamoto was arrested and admitted to the charges, stating, "I filmed customers I liked to satisfy my sexual desires."
Police investigations revealed that this was not Yamamoto’s first offense. It was reported that about 400 nude photos of female customers were found on his confiscated cellphone. Yamamoto said, "Since I opened the shop about 30 years ago, I have been illegally filming with video cameras and cellphones," and "I think I filmed about 100 customers. I thought I wouldn’t get caught." A police official stated, "We believe Yamamoto, who runs the shop alone, took advantage of times when he was alone with customers to film them."
The revelation of this case shocked female customers of the tanning shop. A dancer, Ms. A (28), who had been visiting the shop for a year, told local media, "This place was popular among customers preparing for competitions," and added, "Other places sometimes caused peeling of the skin after tanning, but Yamamoto adjusted the tanning delicately with amazing knowledge." A woman in her 40s, Ms. B, also said, "Yamamoto was pleasant and knowledgeable about the machines, and he had a good heart," expressing surprise upon hearing about the secret filming.
There were also suspicions that the tanning shop offered cheaper services to some women. Influencer Ms. C (28) said, "I once wondered how they made a profit with such a shocking price," and explained, "Other cheap tanning shops charge about 3,000 yen (approximately 28,000 won) for 30 minutes, but here it was 3,000 yen for an hour, so I was always amazed thinking, 'How does this person generate sales?'"
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