The beginning of a video ad shows the phrases, "Secret filming is a crime" and "Someone is watching," in this image taken in Kyoto's Kamigyo Ward on Oct. 13, 2021. (Mainichi/Reiko Nakajima)

       KYOTO -- Kyoto Prefectural Police have launched an initiative to show a non-skippable video ad on YouTube warning that "secret filming is a crime," targeting users who have searched for terms seemingly related to voyeurism.

       The video, which urges people to stop taking sneak footage, was released by Kyoto Prefectural Police's personal safety division, as the problem of camera voyeurism has been prevalent within the western Japan prefecture.

       The six-second ad, which cannot be skipped, has been distributed via YouTube and other platforms since Oct. 14, and is scheduled to appear on video distribution services for about one month. It targets male viewers aged 18 or older who live in Kyoto Prefecture and have terms suggestive of voyeurism, such as "peeping" or "miniature camera," in their search history on Google.

       Part of a video ad showing a pictogram of a person being captured by police, accompanied with the phrase, "You will be severely punished," is seen in this image taken in Kyoto's Kamigyo Ward on Oct. 13, 2021. (Mainichi/Reiko Nakajima)

       "Secret filming is a crime," "Someone is watching," "You will be severely punished," among other messages, as well as pictograms of a figure being captured by police officers, appear in the footage, creating a tense atmosphere.

       According to the personal safety division, while there were a total of 87 arrests in the prefecture connected with secret filming in 2020, this year the figure had already hit 112 by the end of September. The video ad was created as cases have been spiking at an unprecedented pace.

       Katsushi Nishida, head of the division, commented, "I'd like those who watched the ad to keep in mind that they will get caught (if they take sneak footage). We hope this will contribute to the prevention of damage."

       (Japanese original by Reiko Nakajima, Kyoto Bureau)

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