Tadayoshi Kaneko, 35, an instructor at a private high school, was taken into custody in June for violating an ordinance regarding causing a public nuisance after a look at his computer revealed that the suspect photographed up the skirt of hundreds of girls in their uniforms over a month-long period earlier this year.
“Since I’ve been a student, I’ve preferred women in their underwear over those who are naked,” the court documents quote Kaneko as saying.
Now unemployed due to disciplinary action, Kaneko started his hobby, which required that a digital camera be hidden inside a satchel, in August of last year. The suspect prowled train stations before and after work in search of suitable vantage points to capture panchira (peeking) photos that reveal the underwear of young female commuters.
Nikkan Sports (July 31) reports that the court is prosecuting Kaneko based on four incidents. On March 10 and 19 and April 10 and 12, the suspect allegedly filmed girls on the staircases and platforms of Asakusabashi, Higashi Ojima, and Mizue stations.
Kaneko was first arrested on March 13 after an eye witness at Mizue Station reported him. After he surrendered his camera, he was released.
“Normally, a person should be disgusted by this sort of embarrassment and do something to make amends,” says a local newspaper reporter. “However, the defendant did exactly the opposite.”
Kaneko soon bought another camera and resumed his illicit activities on March 17 on a daily basis. A check of his hard drive during the raid of his apartment on April 14 showed that he was very found of his new purchase: Between August of last year and his arrest in March he filmed 50 girls, but in the month prior to the search Kaneko caught 300 girls on tape.
As to the reasoning for his prolific output, Kaneko cited money problems and stress.
“I feel deep regret for the victims,” court documents quote Kaneko as saying. “I also feel great sorrow for my students, fellow teachers, and graduates whom I had taught.” (A.T.)
Source: “1kagetsu 300kudari keisatsu ni tsukidaeserete higatsuita joshiko kyoshi panchira tosatsu,” Shukan Jitsuwa (August 16, pages 206-207)
