Shark Enthusiast from Matsuko’s Show Exposed as Peeping Tom
Please give me a Yoro Shark.
In August 2024, Sakuya Toyoda (22), who was charged with crimes such as filming sexual acts after allegedly entering a women’s restroom at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and secretly recording women using the toilet, appeared in court on December 5 at the Tokyo District Court.
According to the indictment, Toyoda entered the women’s restroom on the campus of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, where he had recently graduated in March of the same year. He filmed two women, A (26) and B (24), while they were using the toilet, by placing his smartphone camera over the top of the partition from the neighboring stall.
Toyoda appeared in court wearing a black hoodie and black skinny jeans, with a piercing in his left ear. He wore a mask, but his sharp eyes revealed his handsome features. Looking somewhat weary, Toyoda responded to the charges with a nonchalant “I’m fine.” When asked by the judge if fine meant he was admitting to the charges, he replied with a simple yes, giving an impression of inconsistency.
Toyoda was previously known for appearing on popular TV programs.
“In April 2019, as a high school student, he appeared on Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai (TBS) as a shark enthusiast. With his fresh, handsome appearance, he greeted the audience by saying, ‘Yoro Shark, onegai shimasu’ (‘Please give me a Yoro Shark’), and became a favorite character of Matsuko, which garnered attention. When news of his arrest broke, it became a major topic on social media. Additionally, during his arrest, Toyoda reportedly said, ‘I wanted to experience the thrill,'” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social department.
What was the thrill Toyoda sought, willing to risk losing his glamorous reputation?
To a female student from his alma mater, with which he was familiar.
The prosecutor’s opening statement revealed the despicable method of the crime. Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, the site of the covert filming, was Toyoda’s alma mater. Familiar with the campus, he entered the women’s restroom and hid in a stall, waiting for an opportunity to film.
“When a woman entered the restroom and began using it, Toyoda directed his smartphone camera from the top of the partition in the neighboring stall, filming her underwear and private areas. Like a shark waiting for prey, raising its dorsal fin above the water, Toyoda may have been lurking in the women’s restroom, positioning his smartphone over the partition.
Even more shockingly, while waiting for his next target, Toyoda reportedly saved and edited the videos he had filmed. He appears to have moved the women to the center of the frame and cut out moments when they were not in view. Considering how he treated the restroom stall like his territory, it’s clear that his actions were habitual and calculated.” (A reporter from the social department)
The shock experienced by the women who were victimized is immeasurable. Victim A stated:
“There was no sound, so I never suspected I was being filmed. After the incident, I became afraid to use public restrooms. I started feeling anxious, wondering if cameras were installed in restrooms or rooms. I couldn’t sleep at night. I also began to fear men, and now I can’t sit if a man is sitting next to me on the train.”
This trauma has severely impacted her daily life.
It’s not only the victimized women who have been affected; many other women are likely now fearful of using public restrooms due to this report. Does Toyoda realize the weight of his crime?