Taxi Driver’s Trial: Top Sales Achiever Faces Judgment for Molestation and Escape onto Tracks

Planned escape route

The trial of former taxi driver Eiji Iwahashi (61 at the time of his arrest), who was charged with indecent assault and other offenses for groping a teenage woman and fleeing onto the tracks of the JR Saikyo Line, took place at the Tokyo District Court on December 5.

According to the indictment, Iwahashi committed indecent acts, such as touching the woman’s buttocks, on May 27, 2024, inside a train on the JR Saikyo Line. When the victim and others forced him off the train at the station, Iwahashi jumped onto the tracks to escape, also being charged with obstructing train operations. The initial hearing on October 25 was covered by FRIDAY, where the defendant admitted to the charges, stating, “I do not deny the facts of the indictment.”

Regarding his actions, he said, “During the busy rush hour, I would look for potential targets on the station platform. I decided to touch A-san’s body and boarded the train with her. I think I made what is called a ‘contact act,’ where I pretended it was an accident and touched her thigh over her skirt with the back of my hand to check her reaction.”

As for his escape, he admitted to having pre-planned the route. He said, 

“I knew the escape route. When I was about to be caught for the groping, I ran towards Ikebukuro on the tracks and jumped off near the large guard area in Shinjuku. I had escaped this way before, knowing that there are no other people on the tracks, making it easy to flee.”

Iwahashi also confessed that he had been committing similar offenses since he was about 25 years old, and this was not his first arrest for such crimes.

 

What is your reputation at the cab company where you have re-hired?

“In January 2022, Iwahashi also committed an indecent act on the JR Saikyo Line, groping an 18-year-old woman, and once again fled onto the tracks. He was sentenced to 1 year and 4 months in prison for forced indecency and had just been released last year” (according to a national newspaper reporter).

Iwahashi, a habitual offender, had been praised for his top-class sales performance at the taxi company where he worked until his arrest in May 2024.

“He worked hard from early morning until late at night, and his sales performance was among the top three in the company.”

During the trial, a former supervisor from Iwahashi’s taxi company testified as a character witness. The supervisor stated that Iwahashi had ranked in the top three out of around 130 drivers. The supervisor also testified, saying,

“He was humble and polite. There were no issues with colleagues or customers.”

The former supervisor had also conducted Iwahashi’s interview, stating,

“He was articulate during the interview and left a good impression. He was motivated.”

Regarding Iwahashi’s previous conviction for groping,

“I knew about his past conviction, but I believed he had paid the price and wouldn’t do it again,” the supervisor stated, expressing faith in his rehabilitation.

However, about a year after being hired, Iwahashi couldn’t suppress his distorted desires and committed the crime again. When asked about his feelings upon Iwahashi’s arrest, the former supervisor said,

“I knew it would happen. I felt betrayed.”

As the former supervisor spoke, Iwahashi’s eyes behind his glasses seemed lifeless and expressionless. There was no trace of the top-class driver he once was. After his arrest, Iwahashi was fired from the taxi company.

 

Sex crimes have a high recidivism rate.

However, the former supervisor appeared as a character witness and, regarding the future, stated:

“Having observed his work for a year, I think it may be possible to extend a helping hand.”

The supervisor testified that there might be a possibility of reemployment.

“It is said that sex crimes, like drug offenses, have a high recidivism rate. Due to a criminal record, individuals often struggle to find employment, leading to financial difficulties and a sense of isolation, which in turn can result in further criminal acts. In Iwahashi’s case, he committed a crime again despite working hard. The rehabilitation of criminals requires support from the society that accepts them. However, the leniency shown to Iwahashi at this point raises questions. His crime was a sex offense, and he has reoffended,” said the aforementioned reporter.

While it seems unlikely that he should return to being a taxi driver, where he is highly likely to be alone with women, it is hoped that he will be rehabilitated to prevent further victims.