Fukuoka station deploys mirror to fight rising voyeurism in Japan

Authorities in the Japanese city of Fukuoka have installed an “anti-voyeurism” mirror in a subway station in a bid to stop the rising number of cases in the bustling Tenjin entertainment area.

The mirror, affixed beside an escalator at the Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) station, has a wide field of view to enable commuters to spot voyeurs or those taking upskirt photos, according to the online News on Japan.

It was donated by the We Love Tenjin Council, a community group made up of local businesses.

“Unfortunately, voyeurism is still happening daily. We hope this mirror will help reduce the number of victims and allow people to use the station with peace of mind,” Stationmaster Akiko Yamaguchi told Nippon TV on Wednesday.

There were 110 reported cases of voyeurism in Fukuoka prefecture from January to the end of June – 10 more than in the same period last year, police told the national broadcaster. Escalators or staircases were the voyeurs’ favourite hunting grounds.

Voyeurism is on the rise in Japan, according to a February report in the Asahi newspaper, which cited police statistics showing that cases of voyeuristic, non-consensual filming more than tripled last year compared to 2023.