TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 53-year-old man for attempting to extort 1 million yen from an illicit photographer at Asakusa’s Senso-ji Temple — only for it to be revealed that the suspect himself was arrested for voyeurism at the exact same location just one month later, reports Friday (July 6).
Hiroaki Nomura, a company employee, was arrested on June 24 on suspicion of attempted extortion. When escorted from the Asakusa Police Station the following day, Nomura buried his face completely inside the collar of his shirt to hide from waiting cameras, stumbling blindly into a police transport vehicle.
According to investigators, the incident occurred in May of last year. Nomura spotted a man in his 50s allegedly taking tosatsu (voyeur) footage of a woman at the crowded tourist destination. Acting as a so-called “voyeur hunter,” Nomura approached the man and threatened him, saying, “You were secretly filming, weren’t you? Give me money. One million yen.”
“Tosatsu Hunters”
Law enforcement calls perpetrators of this practice “Tosatsu Hunters,” a label derived from their penchant for swindling perverts who take illicit photographs of women.
They are opportunist extortionists who stake out train stations, bookstores, and tourist spots known for illicit photography. They confront perpetrators and threaten to drag them to the police or the victim unless they pay a hefty out-of-court settlement.
Because the maximum fine for a voyeurism charge under local ordinances is 1 million yen, hunters frequently use that specific figure to intimidate their targets.
School trip
However, the crime in this case was brought to light through an ironic twist. In June of last year—the month following the alleged extortion attempt — Nomura was himself arrested for taking up-skirt photos of a female student on a school trip at Senso-ji.
When police examined Nomura’s confiscated smartphone regarding his own voyeurism charge, they uncovered evidence of his earlier extortion attempt.
“Voyeur hunters”
Due to the bold 1-million-yen demand, police suspect Nomura may be a repeat offender.
During police questioning, Nomura partially denied the allegations.
“I did catch someone who was taking illicit photos, but I did not demand any money,” he reportedly told investigators.
