NAGOYA -- As part of efforts by the Aichi Prefectural Police to prevent secret filming, mirrors were installed on the sides of escalators in this central Japan city.

The initiative was launched on Dec. 16, and apparently aims to encourage people who see their reflections to realize the risk of becoming a victim to camera voyeurism and to watch out for potential danger behind them, as well as to discourage anyone from taking upskirt photos due to a sense of being watched. The concept utilizes the psychological tendency of people to look at mirrors they come across.

The mirrors were installed on the sides of escalators in two areas including the Esca underground shopping complex in Nagoya's Nakamura Ward. Made of acrylic, the products measure about 25 centimeters wide and 30 cm tall, and are made by Komy Co., a mirror manufacturer based in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture. They are specially processed to provide a wide-angle view and are also used to prevent collisions at intersections. These items not only reflect the person standing in front of them, but even show the hands of people standing behind them, which is effective in preventing and deterring camera voyeurism.

According to the company, these mirrors were introduced at stations including those in the cities of Osaka and Kobe starting in June 2023. That December, a demonstration experiment was launched at a Saitama Stadium Line station to test their effectiveness. Feedback from station users included comments such as, "It helps deter incidents," and, "I felt at ease."

Koichi Hara, deputy director of Esca's facilities department, said his impression was that many escalator users were shifting their gaze to the mirrors. He stated, "We hope people can feel safe and secure." Takumi Kawamura, assistant director of the Aichi Prefectural Police's special investigation unit for public safety, explained, "We will assess whether people will pay more attention to what's behind them by looking at the mirrors, and if it proves effective, we would like to spread this initiative throughout the prefecture."

From January to the end of October this year, the prefectural police received 508 reports and inquiries related to secret filming. Among them, 63 incidents reportedly occurred on escalators.

(Japanese original by Richi Tanaka, Nagoya News Department)