Teenage Girl Allegedly Assaulted in Multipurpose Restroom — Ōmiya Sensei Lured Victim Under Guise of Caregiving in Shocking Crime

“Omiya Oji”

“Sensei.”

The arrested man was called by the girls.

On May 27, the Omiya Police Station in Saitama Prefecture arrested Mitsuhito Iida, a 32-year-old unemployed man living in Saitama City, on suspicion of non-consensual intercourse and unlawful confinement. He is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, referred to as A-san. During police questioning, Iida reportedly admitted to the crime, saying, “There’s no mistake that I assaulted her.”

“The incident for which he was arrested took place shortly after 6 p.m. on March 9 of this year. Iida allegedly confined A-san, whom he had met through social media, in a multipurpose restroom at a commercial facility in Saitama City, where he sexually assaulted her for about 30 minutes. The case came to light after A-san reported the incident to the police,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

Older individuals who approach with criminal intent

A-san had been part of a real-life community known as the “Ōmiya Kaiwai,” a gathering spot frequented by teenage girls.

“Like ‘Tō-yoko’ in Tokyo’s Kabukichō and ‘Guri-shita’ in Osaka’s Minami district, young runaways and others gather at parks and open areas near the west exit of JR Ōmiya Station. It’s a place where trouble is common. Police have received multiple reports from the ‘Ōmiya Kaiwai’ about underage drinking, smoking, and drug overdoses.

It’s said that Iida was the person who founded this ‘Ōmiya Kaiwai.’ There’s a post on his social media from early 2023 mentioning that he started the community. Among the young people there, he was called nicknames like ‘Oji’ and ‘Sensei.’ But his reputation wasn’t good. There were many stories of him pretending to care for drunk girls, only to sexually assault them. If those accounts are true, it’s an appalling pattern of predatory behavior,” said the same reporter.

A photographer from our magazine captured images of Iida being transported to the prosecutors on May 29. Sitting in the back seat of the transport vehicle, he wore a somewhat downcast expression but stared straight ahead.

Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa commented:

“Adults who approach groups of young boys and girls can easily become leaders or figures of trust among them simply because of their age. Unfortunately, some of these older individuals get close for criminal purposes — to satisfy their own desires through indecent acts against the girls.

They pretend to be allies, acting as though they understand and support the youngsters, only to commit these crimes. It’s an extremely malicious tactic. I want to urge young people: just because someone is an older ‘leader’ doesn’t mean you should hesitate. If you experience any harm, report it to the police immediately.”

It’s reported that multiple women have come forward with claims of sexual victimization related to the “Ōmiya Kaiwai” scene. Police suspect Iida has other offenses and are continuing their investigation.