One crime that is becoming increasingly serious each year, targeting children, is surreptitious filming.

Based on actual methods using small cameras, the police have revealed the dangers lurking in our everyday lives.  Police Officer
"Please imagine this is a product shelf, it's a partition, but there's a gap at the bottom, and I'm crouching down. When the perpetrator enters through the gap, this is what happens. It's perfectly captured on camera."

On September 10th, a lecture on preventing surreptitious filming was held at the Numazu Police Station in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, for female high school students.

In October, in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, it was discovered that an employee of an after-school kids' club possessed images and videos of approximately 50 male children, believed to have been secretly filmed in a restroom.

According to the prefectural police, 114 cases of surreptitious filming were apprehended in the prefecture between the beginning of 2026 and August, and approximately 90% of these are believed to have been committed using smartphones.

Perforated paper bags and cameras disguised as pens and chargers: Increasingly sophisticated methods

How can we prevent the increasing number of voyeuristic incidents? The lecture revealed a number of malicious methods.

Police Officer
"The perpetrators were using methods such as pretending to tie shoelaces or reach for something below, then slipping a paper bag under the victim's skirt."

A smartphone recording video was hidden inside a perforated paper bag. Besides smartphones, recently, miniature cameras are being disguised as pens, car keys, USB drives, and chargers, making the danger even more readily apparent.

The high school girls learned about the risks while watching footage captured by these miniature cameras.  High School Freshman
"It was scary. The image was clearer than I expected, and I was surprised at how clearly it showed up. It was a scary impression."
High School Freshman
"I'm always listening to music on the train, so I would never notice, and I realized I need to be more aware of my surroundings."

"Targeting situations where reporting is impossible": Be especially vigilant during winter and exam season.

Police say that even greater vigilance is necessary as winter approaches.

Numazu Police Station, Community Safety Division Chief, Tomoaki Akiyama
"During exam season, people are going to exams, so it is said that crimes are more likely to occur when people are in a situation where they cannot report the incident. Therefore, we ask that you be especially careful during this time."

Upskirting poses risks in all aspects of daily life. Knowing the methods used can help protect yourself, especially since you might not even realize you're being targeted.

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