TOKYO: Japanese authorities have arrested a Ukrainian YouTuber with over 6.5 million subscribers for livestreaming himself trespassing inside a house located within the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone.
Two other Ukrainian nationals were also arrested on Wednesday morning for entering the unoccupied property in Okuma Town, Fukushima prefecture.
A Fukushima police official confirmed that officers discovered and arrested the suspects based on information provided by a citizen.
All three individuals have reportedly admitted to the charges according to Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi.
The broadcaster aired a clip from the YouTube livestream showing the men making tea inside the home and examining personal objects abandoned by the former residents.
The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, led to 12% of the prefecture being declared a no-go zone and forced approximately 165,000 people to flee their homes.
Radiation contamination across the region compelled residents to abandon their belongings and properties entirely.
While many areas have since been declared safe, certain zones including the one where the Ukrainians were filming remain officially designated as dangerous.
Former Ukrainian ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky expressed his apologies for the incident on social media platform X on behalf of the arrested individuals.
“This should not be happening,“ Korsunsky stated.
This incident follows the 2023 arrest of American livestreamer Ismael Ramsey Khalid, known as Johnny Somali, for allegedly trespassing on a Fukushima construction site.
Police reported that Khalid wore a facemask and repeatedly shouted “Fukushima” at construction workers who asked him to leave the premises.
Another video clip showed Khalid, who describes himself as a former child soldier, harassing train passengers by making references to the 1945 US atomic bombings of Japan.
Japan is currently experiencing an unprecedented influx of tourists, with some residents expressing frustration over increasing incidents of unruly behaviour.
The “Japanese first” Sanseito party, which has capitalised on growing concerns regarding over-tourism and immigration, achieved significant gains in this year’s upper house election. – AFP
