Ukrainian YouTuber Arrested for Livestream Trespassing in Fukushima No-Go Zone

A Ukrainian YouTuber with over 6.5 million subscribers was arrested in Japan after livestreaming himself trespassing in a house located within the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone, a restricted area established following the 2011 nuclear disaster. Along with two other Ukrainians, he entered the unoccupied house in Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture, and broadcasted footage that included making tea and inspecting abandoned belongings. The three suspects admitted guilt after police, acting on a citizen's tip, arrested them during the act. The Fukushima disaster led to a large exclusion zone where around 165,000 people were forced to evacuate due to radiation hazards, and while some areas have been declared safe, parts remain dangerous, including where the trespassing occurred. The Ukrainian Embassy in Japan condemned the actions as unacceptable and urged respect for Japanese laws, with the former Ukrainian ambassador to Japan publicly apologizing for the incident. This case is part of a broader pattern of foreign trespassing incidents in Japan, including a similar 2023 arrest of a US livestreamer for trespassing at a construction site.