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

“Traveling abroad reduces your money.”

In a disappointing turn of events, during the defendant’s testimony on January 21, Zhang repeatedly provided shocking statements. When asked by his defense attorney about the motive behind the crime, he stated:

“I wanted to relieve stress.”

He explained that the causes of his stress were:

“Long working hours and the fact that I owe a lot of money.”

When questioned by the prosecution as to why he resorted to this crime as a form of stress relief, he claimed:

“It allowed me to forget about the struggles at work.”

When asked, 

“Was it to satisfy sexual desires?” 

He denied it, saying, 

“No.”

Later, when the prosecution asked, “Why didn’t you grope a man’s chest?” he answered with an unexpected response:

“I never thought about that. I like women.”

The judge then asked, “Why didn’t overseas travel relieve your stress?” Zhang responded:

“Overseas travel makes money decrease. That became a pressure.”

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:

“I thought the victims hadn’t filed a report. They believed I was just helping them with the bugs.”

Zhang further admitted, when questioned whether he thought he would not be caught if he returned to his country:

The defendant’s questioning ended there. The prosecution, considering the risk of reoffending, demanded a three-year prison sentence. Zhang expressed deep regret:

“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.”

The verdict is scheduled for January 29. One hopes he will face his crimes seriously.