A naked man is detained after swimming in the moat around the Imperial Palace in this TV image.

Naked Briton detained after swimming in Imperial Palace moat

Wednesday 08th October, 05:38 AM JST

TOKYO —

A 40-year-old British tourist was taken into police custody Tuesday after swimming naked in a moat around the Imperial Palace, police officials said.

The man, a resident of Spain, was on a sightseeing trip along with seven Spanish tourists, according to the police.

According to police, the man dived into the moat around 11:30 a.m. after he visited a local police box near the Imperial Palace together with five friends who were all foreigners in their 40s or 50s. Some of the group spoke to a police officer in English, telling him they had accidentally dropped a bag into the moat and needed something to fish it out with. Then one of the men suddenly stripped off and dived into the moat, police said.

Fifty police officers and firefighters were mobilized to catch the man who threw rocks and splashed water at two policemen in a rowing boat. Local TV footage showed the man swimming around the moat as the police chased him with a long stick, attracting a crowd of onlookers. He was in the water for about an hour.

He eventually got out of the water and climbed a stone wall only to fall into the hands of police officers who were waiting for him.

Broadcasters were careful to meet Japan’s obscenity laws once he had climbed out of the water, masking images of his private parts with a blurry dot.

A police official said he had never heard of a skinny dipper causing a stir in the palace moat before. The moat is separated from the emperor’s residence by high stone walls and woods.

A palace official said the emperor was in the palace, but it was unlikely he saw the nude swimmer.

Wire reports

Latest 15 of 132 Total Comments Show All

ultradodgy at 04:32 PM JST - 8th October

This was technically an invasion of what is likely the most secure area in Japan (perhaps after the US Embassy.)

Curious how cops in Washington would have reacted to a fellow running around the white house lawn for an hour.

I'm for one grateful that the cops here didn't tazer/shoot/beat/etc him. My guess is that he'll be found to be severly mentally imbalanced (either that or the Spanish equivalent of Borat.)
onewrldoneppl at 04:45 PM JST - 8th October

why is it that the japanese media hid his genitals but, displayed his face? the north american and european media outlets hid both his face and his pee-pee. also, has anyone in the UK/Spain seen any interviews with the genius' family/co-workers abroad? i heard he was released from japanese police custody, in the same day. imagine that!?
Gavinova at 04:56 PM JST - 8th October

Nothing Freddie Flintoff wouldn't do after a couple of beers!
Triumvere at 05:20 PM JST - 8th October

A memorable vacation, no doubt.
nikoniko at 05:20 PM JST - 8th October

nessie haha / and thats why the other person mentioned Camilla swimming in the moat on the Prince Charles & Camilla's visit here! and the world just gets crazier ... but better this than another serious and sad crime. Im sure this gave the Palace folks something to talk about for the day. Ultradodgy, you took the words out of my mouth (or the text off my keyboard) -- if in the states, he might have died from a tazer shock, indeed. Again, crazy folks, anywhere.
as_the_crow_flies at 05:30 PM JST - 8th October

A police official said he had never heard of a skinny dipper causing a stir in the palace moat before. Skinny dipper? Don't they mean fat bastard?
Soochi at 06:08 PM JST - 8th October

MrDickMorris....

"pasty flab-monster"? Sound like you have anti British views,

Nope, being a Brit and living in London that would be odd. Just anti-p1ssed-up Brits abroad views - be it Tokyo or Magaluf. What would you have done, shook is hand and bought him a pint.

The rozzers should have tasered the fat-knacker. Now that would have been funny.
Nessie at 07:46 PM JST - 8th October

Proudly flying the flag for Britain. Well, the flagpole, anyway.
Youdontknow at 07:57 PM JST - 8th October

Hugharse - thanks for the link! That was comical and at least the BBC have the decency to blank out his face.

The line about the media obeying the obscenity law is hilarious!! I still don't know why they insist on Victorian values in blotting out body parts here, when I can walk into any convenience store where my kid is greeted with magazines portraying sex, nudity and bukkake - at HIS eye level! Another fine example of double standards.

As for the emperor not noticing, I doubt it. How would anyone miss 50 keystone cops, the media and a large crowd outside their house?
Antonios_M at 08:21 PM JST - 8th October

50 police officers to catch a nude man? It must have been hilarious for other tourists there!!! Here in Greece, cops would have just waited until he got bored and went out by himself. But, after all, it's the Emperor's image... I don't know any Emperor who wish to have a nude man swimming outside of his home...^_^
CavemanLawyer at 08:22 PM JST - 8th October

The line about the media obeying the obscenity law is hilarious!! I still don't know why they insist on Victorian values in blotting out body parts here, when I can walk into any convenience store where my kid is greeted with magazines portraying sex, nudity and bukkake - at HIS eye level! Another fine example of double standards.

There is no double standard. The sexual situations often depicted anywhere and everywhere are not the same thing as displaying genitals. The Japanese are very consistent about it, as they were with reporting of this incident.

Anyway, even in America they blotted out the genitals for television, as one poster above tells us. --Cirroc
jeancolmar at 10:52 PM JST - 8th October

They should have tossed the gentleman a rubber ducky.
neverknow2 at 11:57 PM JST - 8th October

It only took 50 police officers to catch one man. Great work!!
greensatindress at 09:31 AM JST - 9th October

thank god it wasn't an American for once
sonnoujoui at 09:49 PM JST - 9th October

Actually I was surprised at first, when I heard about a Spanish guy bathing in the Imperial Palace moat. A spanish guy? That sounded strange to me. It would have been rather sth an american or british guy would do.

Now I hear that he was actually a briton. Ahh, I am relieved - everything OK with my world view.