This Is Not the First Time... Tourist Arrested and Deported for Taking 'Exposure' Photos

Japanese Tourists in Their 20s Take Commemorative Photo After Exposing Buttocks
Detained for Two Weeks and Then Forcibly Deported to Japan

It was recently revealed that Japanese male and female tourists were expelled after taking inappropriate photos at the Great Wall of China, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

On the 15th, local media such as Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun and TBS reported that in early January, Japanese male and female tourists taking photos at the Great Wall in Beijing, China, were detained for two weeks and subsequently deported. Both were in their 20s and had visited the Great Wall for tourism purposes.

The Great Wall of China. Beijing Tourism Bureau website

At the time of the photo shoot, the male tourist was exposing his buttocks, and the accompanying female took pictures of him. They were immediately caught by security guards and taken away. Exposing the lower body in public places in China is punishable under the Public Security Administration Punishments Law. Consequently, they were detained for about two weeks before being forcibly deported. The couple reportedly told the Japanese Embassy in Beijing that it was "a bad prank."

Meanwhile, incidents of excessive exposure or taking photos commemorating such exposure at famous tourist sites have been occurring worldwide.

In 2022, three British individuals were arrested by police for taking nude photos on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi, Italy. Videos of the incident show a woman barely covering her front with a single red cloth posing, while a man was photographing her from a few steps below. Another woman wearing shorts was adjusting the cloth around the nude woman and helping her pose.

Police investigations revealed that they conducted this without permission. They explained to the police that they "just took the photos to remember the Amalfi coast" and that "they were not intended for public release."

Additionally, last year, Russian authorities issued an international arrest warrant for a Ukrainian female model who had exposed her chest and filmed a video in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow three years earlier. Ukrainian model Lolita Bogdanova (24) filmed a video exposing her chest by lifting her top in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow, in 2021, before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Built in 1561, St. Basil's Cathedral is a symbolic building of Moscow, well known as the background image of the game "Tetris," and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. When Bogdanova's exposure became known, Russian Orthodox believers were very displeased that she committed a sacrilegious act in front of the sacred church dedicated to Saint Basil, who is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Bogdanova later apologized for the exposure video but explained that "the video was filmed several years ago and was uploaded by someone else, not me."

Also, in famous Italian resorts such as Sorrento and in Barcelona, Spain, walking topless or wearing swimwear in non-beach areas results in fines. The fines can reach up to 500 euros (approximately 750,000 KRW). Massimo Coppola, mayor of Sorrento, signed an ordinance containing these rules and explained on his Facebook, "Walking around without clothes makes not only local residents but also other tourists uncomfortable," adding, "We were concerned that it would harm the quality of life of city residents as well as the city's image, negatively affecting tourism."

Furthermore, the beach town of Praia a Mare in Calabria, Italy, prohibits inappropriate clothing as well as walking barefoot in the city. Barcelona and Mallorca in Spain also impose heavy fines for walking around in swimwear outside of swimming pools.