Skinny Dipping Man Leads Japanese Police On Wild Two Hour Chase Through Emperor’s Moat
Posted October 7, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes the Japanese are so fascinated and at the same time repelled by the ways of the west, look no further than what happened in Tokyo on Tuesday.
A Western tourist has created a scandal in the country after being caught going for a swim in the middle of the city.
At the Imperial Palace.
In one of the Emperor’s moats.
Stark naked.
Police were called after a huge crowd gathered in the city’s teeming business district to watch the skinny dipper frolic in the sacred waters. The middle aged swimmer refused to give up when authorities came to spoil his fun, splashing water and throwing rocks at his pursuers before turning tail and paddling away.
Police were forced to give chase in a rowboat, trying to use a long stick to catch him, as the ludicrous situation made national headlines and was covered on TV, turning the news into the nudes – although the networks used a blurring effect on certain parts of his anatomy to conform with local broadcast standards.
The ‘show’ lasted about two hours before the man, who claims he’s from Spain, finally emerged and tried to climb a stone wall, eventually falling into the arms of waiting cops.
Authorities took the swimmer into custody, although there’s no word on what – if anything – he’s been charged with.
They’re at a loss to explain his actions, although some witnesses claim he threw his bag in the water and that it may have contained his passport.
“If you know what is within the moat, you won’t go skinny dipping there,” an anonymous police official relates, referring to Emperor Akihito, who lives in the palace. The ruler was inside at the time, but it’s not likely he saw anything.
Those who gathered to watch the spectacle laughed, snapped cell phone pictures and appeared to take it all in stride. “I never heard of anyone doing such a thing,” one local emotes. “They are usually pretty strict around here. He must be a bit crazy. Normal people would know it’s not the right thing to do.”
Police suspect he may be mentally unstable.
The 284-acre palace, which sits in the heart of Tokyo, is surrounded by 12 moats that run for seven kilometres.
Visitors are allowed to tour parts of the impressive and historic structure, but aren’t supposed to go inside the premises where the Emperor lives – and they’re certainly not allowed to use the water as their own personal swimming pool.
