Alarming tweet about hidden camera coat hooks in Japanese restrooms sparks anger online

Pay close attention to hooks in public restrooms—they may not be what they seem.

On 24 April, Japanese Twitter user Neko-san described an incident she had in a public bathroom, saying that when she entered the stall, she noticed an oddly placed hook with suspicious holes in it…

▼ “When I first entered the toilet, [I noticed that] a hook for my bag was in a strange location. The next time I went in, it was gone. I thought it was suspicious because there was no indication that it had been broken or torn off the wall. If you see something like this beware…
(By the way, when I first saw it I thought it was weird and covered the hole with tape)”

最初にトイレ入った時に謎位置にあった荷物がけが次入った時に無くなっていて、 壊れて外れて捨てられた様子もなくって怪しいと思ったので、似たようなのがあったらご注意を～ (ちなみに最初見たときに怪しいと思って穴をテープで塞ぎました) https://t.co/cuiQYfzRg5

—
ねこさん (@nekoninaritai3) April 24, 2016

Another twitter user apparently recognized the kind of device she was describing and tweeted to confirm Neko-san’s fears—the hook she had seen was in fact a type of spy camera.

▼ “I found the upper-left one in a net café I worked at. Everyone please watch out when using a toilet.”

ネカフェでバイトしてた時に左上のやつを発見しました。皆さまトイレを利用する時はご注意ください。 https://t.co/7YDoxoCPyZ

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しょーじょーりょーま (@fukurahagi0930) April 24, 2016

▼ “T-That’s it!!! The top left one”

こ、これだーーーー！！！>一番左上

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ねこさん (@nekoninaritai3) April 24, 2016

Neko-san confirmed that she had encountered the Hook Monitoring Camera which, according to ads, can record video up to 1440 x 1080 pixel resolution and has a battery life allowing up to 24 hours of continuous use. The decorative black notes on the design conceal the hole where the camera lens is contained.

Images: Amazon

Readers understandably reacted with shock and anger at these hook cameras being used in such a way.

“You don’t get much lower than that.”
“Seriously? I had no idea these existed.”
“Wow and there are so many kinds too…”
“And these things are just sold like anything else. I’m going to be sick.”
“It’s meant for crime prevention but the makers are in the wrong for designing it so it can be exploited for toilet videos.”

As one reader commented, the sheer variety of camera hooks on the market gives you some sense of the demand for them. And even if a very conservative estimate of one percent of purchases are being used for voyeuristic purposes, that’s still a troubling number.

Going on people’s experiences, these things are often found in restrooms to which both men and women have access. But whatever style of restroom you use, be sure to give your surroundings a sweep for any suspicious hooks or other ornaments before getting down to business. If you do find one such camera, be sure to report it to the proper authorities…or just flush it down the toilet and save everyone who matters a lot of trouble.

I for one, will continue to fight these deviants my own way by going about my regular bathroom routine even if a hook camera is present. My hope is to scare them straight by forcing them to bear witness to the horror show which unfolds the day after an evening of beer and kimchi. It’s like staring into the eyes of Ghost Rider.

Source: Twitter/@nekoninaritai3 via Togetter (Japanese)

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