``Irritated and urine and feces ...'' Why the spectators flooded the unusual security court for minor crimes

Court No. 429, Tokyo District Court. Known as the "Security Court," where criminal trials are held for extremist and gang-related crimes, on March 2, a trial was held for charges that seemingly do not fit here.

The defendant accused of breaking into a building and destroying property is Mr. A, an elderly man. The reason why it was held in courtroom 429, even though it was a petty offense, seems to be the other face of Mr. A, who is a "observation maniac." (Writer Yuki Takahashi)

● "A different face from 'listening enthusiasts'"

Tokyo Higher, Regional, and Summary Court Joint Government Building in Kasumigaseki. Not only the parties involved in the incident, but also many spectators gather here every day.

Front row, center side of the audience. That was the “reserved seat” for Mr. A, a famous listening enthusiast from Kasumigaseki. To defend this place, he "went to work" early in the morning and waited outside the courthouse gates. Line up in front of the court more than an hour before the trial you want begins.

He didn't become famous for his dedication. He has a different face from the "listening maniac". He has repeatedly committed fraud and has 16 previous convictions (from opening statement). As soon as he is released from prison, he returns to Kasumigaseki as a spectator. As he went back and forth between prison and court, he eventually became a famous observer.

That's not the only thing that made him famous. Whenever Mr. A sees a spectator he doesn't like, he yells at them in and out of court. If anything happens, immediately call 911 and dispatch the police. He is a spectator of some commotion.

It was around the beginning of this year that Mr. A disappeared from the audience. The information that "he was arrested again" ran around the audience enthusiast neighborhood.

"Until now, he has been repeatedly arrested for `` hair fraud '' by calling confectionery companies all over Japan and lying that `` there was hair in it '' and sending apology sweets and money. He was in prison, but this case was different.He urinated and defecated at a laundromat in Tokyo, and smeared his excrement on security cameras." (One observer)

●The ``Security Court'' was on high alert

The first trial of Mr. A, who was indicted for trespassing and property damage, was held on March 2 at the Tokyo District Court, but he was charged with a minor offense. An "unusual vigilance system" was put in place, unlike a trial.

For the 18 tickets, 30 people who wanted to attend gathered at the numbered ticket issuing office. More than half of the audience were Kasumigaseki spectators.

“It would make sense if the court thought that only the Kasumigaseki spectators would gather at the court and made it a security court. Because there are people who are doing voyeurism that is prohibited in.

"Spycam Audience" is not only a "court table" like a court timetable, but also takes photos of the audience without permission and uploads them to an anonymous bulletin board. Everyone is terrified because their names will be exposed.” (Same)

In Mr. A's first trial, which was supposed to be a security court because he was wary of such "voyeur filming spectators," the severity of the body check stood out. Even the pens he brings into the courtroom are carefully examined for voyeurism, and when the metal detector hits the button on his trousers pocket, an employee of the same sex carefully touches his pocket to check it. “I was asked to open my wallet and show it, but it was the first time I was asked to show the inside of my wallet. The audience also reflected on the severity of the security on that day.

When I finally entered the court, Mr. A was not in his usual "reserved seat", but behind the bar that separated the audience and the judges. He wears a gray sweatshirt and sits quietly on a settee.

Since Mr. A often abused me at the court, I sat at the back of the audience seat for fear of being found from the other side of the bar. He confirmed a position where he could not be seen by Mr. A, and also tried to hide behind the audience sitting in front of him.

●"Irritated and peeed and stooled..."

But he soon regretted taking the last position. The female prosecutor's voice is especially soft and muffled because of her mask, making her reading of the indictment and her opening statement very difficult to hear.

"At around 5:15 am on December 12, 3rd year of Reiwa, the defendant broke into a coin laundry in Chuo Ward... on the monitor... and damaged it..." (reading out the indictment)

"Shit and urine in the store...Stand up and take a bowel movement...Our store only allows entry to the laundry..."

According to barely audible information, Mr. A defecated at a coin laundry in Tokyo in the early morning of December last year and smeared the feces on the security camera. The total damage was about 118,000 yen.

"I put feces on the monitor. I feel like someone has been talking about it. I'm frustrated and I'm doing it to eliminate urine and feces." (Mr. A's statement)

It is said that there are more charges and additional indictments will be made, and the court closed in about 10 minutes on this day. Defendants will be questioned in April.

Mr. A, who usually yelled at the spectators he didn't like in court and shouted, "I'll kill you," was sitting in the defendant's seat looking unusually quiet that day.

What did the spectator seats look like from a different seat than usual? What kind of thoughts came and went in that chest? Audiences sitting in the audience tried to see Mr. A's expression, but they could not convey his feelings.

[Profile] Yuki Takahashi (Writer): Born in 1974. After working as a programmer, I became a writer. He specializes in judicial hearings. In 2005, he formed the Kasumikko Club with fellow audience members (currently disbanded). His main publications include Kanae Kijima