Man Arrested for Following High School Girl Sparks Concern Over Everyday Stalkers

Targeted and followed at the station

“I wanted to feel the soft body of a high school girl”

The suspect who made such a statement was a 21-year-old man who, at first glance, seemed like a serious, good young man.

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested company employee Hosato Chiharu (21) of Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, on suspicion of indecent acts without consent against a high school girl on her way home. Hosato was sent to prosecutors on the morning of January 8.

“On November 20, ’25, around 1 p.m., on the grounds of an apartment in Koto Ward, Tokyo, he allegedly hugged a high school girl from behind and touched her body as she was returning home.

Hosato, who targeted a nearby high school girl at the station, followed her about 600 meters from the station. When the streets became less crowded, he confirmed that no one was around and engaged in the indecent act. When the girl resisted with elbows and other means, he fled the scene.

The girl’s mother, after hearing her daughter’s story upon returning home, called 110, and the incident came to light. Later, investigations including security camera footage revealed Hosato’s involvement,” said a reporter from the national newspaper’s social affairs department.

Hosato stated, “I followed her thinking maybe the wind would lift her skirt. I wanted to feel the soft body, so I hugged her when there was no one around.” He reportedly admitted to the charges.

Hosato followed the victim he noticed at the station simply because she caught his attention. Voices from women online saying, “I was scared because an unknown man followed me,” are widespread. Here is just one example──.

A man followed me all the way to my room

“When I was coming home at night, there was a man who kept following me. When I entered a convenience store, he came in too. I thought it was a coincidence, so I shopped and went out—but he also left the store. That’s when I thought this was serious. I went back into the store, walked around inside, going in and out repeatedly, and somehow managed to get past him.”

“At the front of my apartment room, an unknown man spoke to me. I think I may have seen him at a nearby convenience store earlier, so now that I think about it, maybe he was following me. Since he now knew where I lived, I was constantly anxious about whether someone was outside for a while after that.”

“At the station, an unknown older man spoke to me. Even though I refused, he followed me. The next day, he was waiting at the station again—it was frightening.”

Sometimes the person following may be doing it casually, like flirting. But in this case with suspect Hosato, as well as in a case last August in Kobe, the male suspect stalked a victim he did not know and ultimately committed murder. There is a risk that such behavior can escalate into serious crimes.

What should someone do if they think they are being followed by a stranger? Crime prevention advisor Toshihiko Matsumaru warns: “Young people tend to lower their guard by looking at their smartphones or walking with music in both ears, which reduces their awareness.”

Actions to Make a Follower Give Up

“I classify cases like this suspect as selection-type. They watch fixed points, such as station platforms or near ticket gates, and select someone who fits their preference. Then they follow a little. If they sense the person is too cautious or quickly meets up with friends, they give up.

In the Kobe case, the perpetrator initially targeted another woman, but for some reason, she was dropped from his target list. Then he chased the eventual victim for 50 minutes and attacked her in the elevator of an auto-lock apartment. He tried following someone he thought he could pursue, but the first person caused him to abandon the attempt.

My main advice is to regularly take actions that would make a perpetrator give up. In this recent case, if such behavior had been taken during the 600-meter span, it might have helped,” says Matsumaru.

This make them give up behavior means making the suspect feel it’s hard to pursue. A selection-type perpetrator is not only checking whether the target fits their preference, but also whether the target is easy to follow.

“Even if someone isn’t looking at a smartphone or listening to music, and isn’t obviously alert, if they appear constantly aware of their surroundings, the perpetrator will think, ‘This is hard to target.’ If the target appears difficult, the suspect is less likely to think, ‘No one’s around, so I’ll touch and run.’ If there are no openings, any attempt could immediately trigger a reaction and foil the plan.

‘Selection-type’ perpetrators often act on a momentary impulse. In fact, this suspect ran away as soon as he was resisted. Showing even a little awareness of someone behind you can greatly increase the chance they’ll avoid you,” he explains.

“First, raise your voice. Ideally, instead of shouting ‘Help!’ you can say, ‘This person is a stranger’ or ‘Call the police!’ Of course, ‘Help!’ is fine, but children sometimes shout ‘Help!’ in play, so it can be misunderstood.

In sudden crimes, it can be hard to shout. That’s why I strongly recommend that students and women carry a personal safety alarm. If you sense someone following you and are about to pass through a place with no one around, keep your hand on the alarm in your bag’s outer pocket.

If someone suddenly approaches, press it and focus on escaping first. When you use the alarm, do so without hesitation. If it’s a false alarm, you can just say, ‘Sorry, I made a mistake.’”

Vigilance can be relaxed in familiar places, like your usual route or near your home. Knowing which areas are potentially dangerous is also an important part of anti-stalker measures. Danger can lurk in everyday life.

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