Open-air bath voyeur with a drone or female customer anxiety, no cases caught in the prefecture printing

A drone that is expected to be used in various situations such as delivery. There is also a risk of misuse = Kobe city

"When I was in the open-air bath, I might have been voyeurized by a drone (small unmanned aerial vehicle)." A 42-year-old woman from Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, who used a super public bath in Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, consulted with the Kobe Shimbun's interactive report "Scoop Lab." What is the current state of drone laws and regulations and voyeurism damage? I asked the prefectural police.

Radio-operated drones were developed for military purposes such as reconnaissance and air strikes. Long-distance automatic flight is also possible using the satellite positioning system (GPS). Some models can be purchased for less than 10,000 yen, and are becoming more popular with the general public.

According to the woman, in late October, at 9 pm when she was using the open-air bath, she found a drone with green and red lamps shining over the darkness. It stayed around for about 5 minutes, and when the female was watching, she flew to the side.

"There were young children in their teens and twenties in the bath, so I'm angry if I was taking a voyeur," said the woman. The staff was not nearby and did not report to the facility, but I felt uneasy.

The person in charge of the facility replied, "I have never heard of such a case and have not taken any particular measures." The woman points out, "Drones are easy to get, and anyone can do it if they want to take a voyeur. There is no sense of crisis."

According to the Prefectural Police Life Safety Department, rules such as nighttime, densely populated areas, and flight prohibition around airports are regulated by the Aviation Law. Voyeurism by drone may be a violation of the prefectural nuisance prevention regulations or a misdemeanor law. In the prefecture, there have been several consultations that "may have been voyeurized" in outdoor baths, but there have been no cases of detection.

According to the guidelines of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2015, if you use a drone to take a picture of the inside of a room of a house or condominium without consent, or if you take a picture of a place where people normally do not wear clothes such as a bathhouse, a changing place, a toilet, etc. It warns that there is a risk of punishment.

Kinosaki Onsen Town (Toyooka City, the same prefecture), which is popular for visiting outdoor hot springs, is said to use drones only by public institutions and the media in order to give consideration to the safety of neighboring residents. A person in charge of the tourism association said, "Some customers feel uneasy about the hot spring town where the drone is flying." It is said that it is.

A drone that is next to danger while being convenient. A person in charge of the prefectural police said, "Like the traffic rules, people who do not fly should know the rules of the drone and consult the police immediately if there is anything." (Akari Nakura)

Katsuhiko Hibino is the next president of Tokyo University of the Arts Contemporary artist, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts

Katsuhiko Hibino

Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo) announced on the 26th that Professor Katsuhiko Hibino (63), the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, has been selected as a candidate for the next president due to the expiration of the term of President Kazuki Sawa. Hibino is a contemporary artist known for his activities and performances that connect society and art. The term of office is from April 1, next year to the end of March 2028.

Mr. Hibino is from Gifu City and completed the master's program at Doshisha University Graduate School in 1984. He has been the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts since 2016.