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A video capturing a woman defecating in public during the day in Shinjuku, Tokyo's busiest district, has sparked significant controversy on social media. Posted on September 1 on X (formerly Twitter), the video shows a woman squatting over a sewer grate on a road near Okubo Park in Kabukicho, an area known for its high foot traffic and foreign tourists, where police patrols are frequent.
As the video spread, local netizens expressed their outrage, stating, "An unbelievable incident has occurred in the heart of the city." Another comment questioned, "I don’t understand why someone would choose to defecate on the roadside when there are convenience store restrooms available," and called for police enforcement against public defecation, which is clearly a minor criminal offense.
Additionally, another video surfaced showing a man defecating near Shijo Street in Kyoto, raising complaints about the increasing incidents of similar public defecation and littering in urban areas, including public transport stations. The issue of public defecation has been recurring in major urban centers and tourist spots in Japan, with a notable incident last year where a foreign tourist was caught defecating near Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. Cases of public defecation have also been reported along hiking trails on Hallasan Mountain and at Yongmeori Coast in Jeju, leading to growing discomfort among citizens.