Saitama police arrested Kumagayaken tax office civil servant Sadayuki Iida on February 13th.
The 51-year-old official snuck into a women’s changing room at a public bath spa at 8:30 pm, though to be fair to him — he did it in style. To be precise, he did it in drag.
Iida is denying any wrongdoing, saying he was just trying to use the toilet.
Iida is about 175cm and a large guy. However, he seemed to think a black coat, long wig and black skirt would be enough to transform him into a woman. He was also apparently wearing make-up.
He wandered around the changing room, where there were 10 “real” women getting changed for a bath in a hot spring. Then he went into a toilet for a while. After he came out, one female occupant of the changing room thought something was fishy. She called out to him and when he answered, she realized Iida was a “he”. She then held him down until help could arrive.
He was arrested on the scene on suspicion of intrusion/burglary, which carries a penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of ¥100,000 (around $900).
It begs the question: what do cross-dressers do at public baths in Japan? Are they ever able to go wearing the clothes they feel most comfortable in?
