TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a former actor who stands accused of trespassing into a woman resident to sniff her underwear — and this is not the first time.
At around 8:00 p.m. on August 2, Tsubasa Tagoku, a former actor in a theater troupe, allegedly trespassed into a Hachioji City apartment occupied by two people, including a woman in her 20s, and sniffed a selection of women’s underwear, reports Jiji Press (Aug. 6).
“I broke in to satisfy my sexual desire,” the suspect was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations. “I wanted to feel a strong sense of tension by sneaking into someone’s home.”
According to the police station, Tagoku entered the residence through a window and sniffed one woman’s underwear in a closet. The woman and her male partner then returned home. After the suspect fled, the pair gave chase and apprehended him.
First arrest
Tagoku, who lives in Hachioji, was active overseas as a ballet dancer for many years, and, after returning to Japan, worked as an actor, mainly in musicals. He was popular, appearing in “Fist of the North Star,” “Showtime” with Ryoko Yonekura and Yu Shirota and “Cats” by the Shiki Theatre Company.
The arrest is not the first for Tagoku, who lives in Hachioji. In 2022, while appearing in “Cats” in Fukuoka Prefecture, he broke into a residence occupied by three women and stole their underwear. He received a prison term suspended for three years after being convicted of theft and other charges.
On Instagram, he vowed to reform his ways after the Fukuoka case, saying, “The original reason I was in the entertainment industry was because I wanted to save the hearts of many people. Despite that, I was shocked at how much I had hurt people with my actions. During my detention, I really faced myself every day and deeply regretted it.”
According to Tokyo Sports (Aug. 7), this does appear to be a simple hobby for Tagoku. In carrying out the Fukuoka caper, he utilized special night vision equipment.
There have been up to three other reports of persons trespassing onto balconies in the same part of Hachioji. Police are now investigating whether the cases are related.
