60s Suspect Flees After Groping, Friend Reveals Tragic Downfall

I wanted to feel a sense of conquest.

“The purpose of my molestation acts is to gain a sense of conquest by seeing the victim’s discomfort, and ultimately, I thought it would be the best if I could see the woman in pleasure.”

Eiji Iwahashi (61), the former taxi driver who was arrested and sent for prosecution for indecent assault and obstruction of official duties. He made this outrageous statement during police interrogation.

Iwahashi was arrested by the Shinjuku Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for suspected non-consensual indecent assault and obstruction of official duties on August 12, 2024.

“The incident occurred on May 27, 2024. Iwahashi touched A’s lower body after reaching under her skirt on the JR Saikyo Line. A, who was 18 years old at the time, took a photo of the situation with her mobile phone. At Shinjuku Station, she grabbed his wrist and confronted him, saying, ‘You touched me, didn’t you?’ and handed him over to the station staff. However, Iwahashi jumped off the platform and fled into the tracks.

On July 22, Iwahashi was arrested again for obstruction of official duties after entering the tracks. More than 100 images, believed to be of women’s back views taken surreptitiously, were found on Iwahashi’s smartphone,” reported a journalist from a national newspaper.

Iwahashi had been committing molestation acts since he was about 25 years old. This was not his first arrest. In January 2022, he was arrested for forcibly touching the lower body of an 18-year-old woman on the JR Saikyo Line and was convicted of indecent assault, receiving a 1 year and 4 months prison sentence. He had just been released from prison last year.

Route was understood in advance

On October 25, during the first trial at the Tokyo District Court, defendant Iwahashi acknowledged the charges, saying, “There is no mistake.” He explained that he had planned to touch a woman’s body by taking advantage of the crowded conditions.

“In the rush hour, I would look for a target on the platform, someone who seemed like a good target. I decided to touch A’s body and got on the train with her. I think I made an accidental touch. The accidental touch means pretending it was a coincidence, and touching her thigh over her skirt with the back of my hand, while observing her reaction” (from Iwahashi’s confession).

Regarding his escape after jumping onto the tracks from the Shinjuku station platform, he said, “I had already planned the escape route in my head.”

“When I was about to be caught for being suspected of molestation, I ran along the tracks toward Ikebukuro and jumped down to the ground near the Shinjuku large guard. I had escaped on the tracks before in similar situations, and I knew there were no people there, making it easier to escape” (from Iwahashi’s confession).

During the trial, the prosecutor read out statements from both A and the person in charge of JR Shinjuku Station, both of which expressed strong feelings of punishment.

“I caught the defendant at Shinjuku Station, but he managed to escape. I can never forgive him, so I want him to be severely punished” (from A’s statement).

That idiot.

“The perpetrator of the molestation jumped onto the tracks at Shinjuku Station and escaped, causing station staff to unexpectedly take on tasks and responses. As a result of this incident, 66 trains were canceled and 124 trains were delayed. The shortest delay was 2 minutes, and the longest was 39 minutes, causing significant inconvenience to many passengers. Additionally, replacement transportation costs for other companies were incurred. We hope the defendant will be severely punished.” (JR East employee)

After the trial, a man who has known the defendant for 20 years revealed how the defendant has been since his release.

“When I first met him, he was working as a club boy while taking care of his wife and child. But he kept committing molestation, so his family ran away, and now he’s alone. I thought he was working hard, but then he got arrested for molestation and disappeared. After he was released last year, he worked properly and lived modestly. He had a small TV in his room, and that was his only form of entertainment.

He would say, ‘This is the last time. This is the last time. I’ll be good.’ So I stuck with him, but I’m done now. That sickness can’t be cured. Every time he comes out, more victims are created. When I went to visit him in the detention center, I told him, ‘I’m cutting ties with you. Don’t send me any letters.'”

This acquaintance, at times, expressed frustration, saying, “That idiot,” but also showed regretful expressions, saying, “He’s not a bad guy when he’s working hard.”

Despite harming the victims, their families, and even his own family and acquaintances, the defendant, Iwahashi, could not stop committing molestation. According to the prosecutor, there are plans for further indictments. It is hoped that he will reform this time.