Japanese Man Sentenced for Filming Women in Hot Springs

A 31-year-old Japanese man has been sentenced to two years in prison for secretly filming over 1,000 women bathing in hot springs using hidden cameras embedded in fake rocks. He was caught after a woman discovered strange reflections from the spy camera at a hot spring in Yamagata and reported it to the police. Upon investigation, authorities found footage of at least 44 victims, but the man confessed to capturing many more since 2022. He crafted realistic rocks using clay and brown plastic, disguised himself as a mountain climber, and used a power bank to ensure continuous filming. This incident is part of a broader issue in Japan, where illegal recording has become increasingly common, with thousands of such cases reported each year. The prosecutor labeled his actions as