In a ruling possibly of crucial importance to Japan’s camera maniacs, a judge has ruled that taking lewd photos of ladies on the street is an offence whether it involves pointing a camera up their skirts or simply at their posterior, even when wearing tousers.
The ruling was prompted by a male JSDF employee (31) being prosecuted under a nuisance prevention law for secretly taking photographs of a lady walking in public.
He apparently tailed a lady in a shopping centre for five minutes several years ago, following her for 40 metres whilst he clandestinely took 11 photos of her rear using a mobile phone. She was wearing trousers.
As a result he was charged with causing a public nuisance, which he appealed. The basis of his appeal was whether or not his taking the photos of the lady contstituted vulgar conduct, with the waters being muddied by the fact that the upskirt photos the law was designed to prevent did not take place.
His appeal was finally heard recently by a lower court of the Supreme Court, and the judge presiding rendered this verdict of guilty: “It is plain you committed indecent acts as covered by the regulations; you caused embarassment to the lady, and gave her an unsettling recollection.”
Via Jiji.
We might wonder at what this means for Japan’s maniac photographers, although since most of them go about their business quite unmolested, and anyway already do take unambiguous upskirt shots, they may still be safe…
I once took a photo of some peoples busy feet in the city after i had been raining, there was a schoolgirl among the crowd, and unintentionally an upskirt reflection from the wet ground ocurred in the photo…
o rly now, you still got the pic?
a ninja can get away with anything.
what about those downblouse or breasts pics?
The Judge line – “It is plain you committed indecent acts as covered by the regulations; you caused embarassment to the lady, and gave her an unsettling recollection.” can easily apply to downblouse or breasts pics too.
Don’t worry too much. The photographers wouldn’t stop snapping because of that rule and every self respecting Japanese women must have some candid pics (upskirt/downblouse/breasts/panty) shots of themselves on the internet. It’s a two way thing.
My guess is: Upskirt pics will live on, only photographers will take a little more care not to get caught.
Just like those “no pics” signs usually means nothing nowadays.
You know… you can’t just kill something that’s deeply rooted in one culture by ruling a dubious law.
Another watcher has fallen! What will happen to our source of daily necessity..