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TOKYO – A 29-year-old man was arrested after allegedly breaking into the residence of Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo, where he allegedly spent two hours before being discovered, local media said on Sunday.
The man, who has not been identified, entered the generally heavily guarded Akasaka residential complex for members of the imperial family on Saturday night via the adjacent guesthouse, Fuji News Network (FNN) said.
He was captured by the Imperial Guard near the residence of Princess Yuriko, Emperor Naruhito’s great-aunt, about two hours after he broke in, the broadcaster said, citing police officials.
FNN said the man had accessed through the front door of the guesthouse, which was unguarded at the time.
The theft was also reported by TBS News, which said the suspect had told police: “He wanted to meet members of the imperial family.”
There were no details on whether the man had encountered royals, but local media said no one was injured in the incident.
Local police declined to comment and the Imperial Household Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019, after his father abdicated.
He and his wife, Empress Masako, delivered the traditional New Year’s greeting via video message on Friday for the first time, after their regular appearance was canceled to prevent crowds from building up as the country battles a third wave of coronavirus. .
The incident is not the first time intruders have breached the palace’s security.
In May 2020, a Japanese man was arrested after swimming through the moat of the Imperial Palace to scale an outer wall and enter forbidden parts of the terrain.
And in years past, both Japanese and foreigners were detained after swimming through the moat, including a Brit who did it naked. – French Media Agency
