<figure id="attachment_410268" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 640px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410268"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="274ee64b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/46ca07a430c32123369473ad20541231.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410268" class="wp-caption-text">Obscene Incidents Were Happening on Nakamise Street in Asakusa.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>&#8220;I want to relieve stress.&#8221;</h2>
The trial of Zhang Weihong, a 33-year-old Chinese national, accused of indecent assault for groping the chest of a woman in her 20s on the street, took place at the Tokyo District Court on January 21.
According to the indictment, Zhang allegedly approached a 21-year-old woman on Nakamise Street in Asakusa, Tokyo, in June of last year, telling her there&#8217;s something on your clothes. He then allegedly put his hand inside her clothing, groping her left breast, putting her in a state where it was difficult to assert her will to refuse (although she had expressed her unwillingness to engage in sexual activity, it was difficult for her to act upon that desire).
In his first court appearance in December, Zhang acknowledged the charges, stating, &#8220;I am guilty.&#8221; On the day of the trial, he appeared in a white T-shirt over a long-sleeved undershirt, wearing beige cotton pants. His lifeless eyes reflected signs of fatigue, suggesting the length of his time in detention in a foreign country.
“Zhang&#8217;s trip to Japan in June of last year was reportedly a pre-wedding trip to celebrate his fiancée&#8217;s birthday. During a sightseeing trip in Asakusa with his fiancée, he committed the assault. After returning home the following day, Zhang came back to Japan in October for another sightseeing trip with his fiancée and her family.
It was later discovered that during his time in Japan, Zhang had committed similar acts of indecent assault against another woman in her 20s. Authorities, having gathered information about his crimes, received advance notice of his re-entry into Japan. Police officers were waiting at the airport and arrested Zhang upon his arrival.” (Investigation sources)
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="The &quot;appalling excuse&quot; given by the defendant during questioning"></div>
<h2>“Traveling abroad reduces your money.”</h2>
In a disappointing turn of events, during the defendant&#8217;s testimony on January 21, Zhang repeatedly provided shocking statements. When asked by his defense attorney about the motive behind the crime, he stated:
&#8220;I wanted to relieve stress.&#8221;
He explained that the causes of his stress were:
&#8220;Long working hours and the fact that I owe a lot of money.&#8221;
When questioned by the prosecution as to why he resorted to this crime as a form of stress relief, he claimed:
&#8220;It allowed me to forget about the struggles at work.&#8221;
When asked, 
&#8220;Was it to satisfy sexual desires?&#8221; 
He denied it, saying, 
“No.&#8221;
Later, when the prosecution asked, &#8220;Why didn’t you grope a man’s chest?&#8221; he answered with an unexpected response:
&#8220;I never thought about that. I like women.&#8221;
The judge then asked, &#8220;Why didn’t overseas travel relieve your stress?&#8221; Zhang responded:
&#8220;Overseas travel makes money decrease. That became a pressure.&#8221;
In a bewildering explanation, he continued with this reasoning.
Zhang had also committed a similar crime in Hong Kong six years ago and was arrested there. The penalty in Hong Kong was relatively light, requiring him to report to court monthly. He may not have expected his actions to be treated as a serious crime in Japan.
When asked by the judge why he thought he wouldn’t get caught in Japan for committing the same act, he explained:
&#8220;I thought the victims hadn’t filed a report. They believed I was just helping them with the bugs.&#8221;
Zhang further admitted, when questioned whether he thought he would not be caught if he returned to his country:
The defendant&#8217;s questioning ended there. The prosecution, considering the risk of reoffending, demanded a three-year prison sentence. Zhang expressed deep regret:
&#8220;I deeply regret my ‘Yes, I had that thought.’ actions. I am very sorry for the victims and their families. I have caused trouble for my own family as well. I will confront my problems and will never do such a thing again.&#8221;
The verdict is scheduled for January 29. One hopes he will face his crimes seriously.
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 On January 21, a Chinese tourist was arrested at the Tokyo District Court for touching the breast of a 21-year-old woman on Nakamise Street in Asakusa, Tokyo, last June. The man repeated excuses about the reason for the crime that even the presiding judge was appalled.

Chinese Tourist Faces 3-Year Sentence for Indecent Acts in Asakusa After Travel Losses

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