According to the Japan Times, in early January, a Japanese male tourist around 20 years old exposed his bust while traveling at the Imperial Citadel in Beijing, while a woman took a photo with him.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry confirmed on March 14: The Japanese Embassy in China confirmed on January 3 that two Japanese citizens were detained by local authorities at the Imperial Citadel. They were then released and returned to Japan in January.
The Japanese Embassy in Beijing declined to comment on the incident, according to the Japan Times.
According to sources, these two tourists were arrested on the spot by security guards and detained for about two weeks.
The act of being bare or revealing the lower body in public is a violation of the law and is considered a disturbance of social order.
The two tourists were said to have told the Japanese Embassy in Beijing that they did so just to have fun.
Japan's NTV station sent reporters to the scene. A Japanese journalist was confused by the tourist's actions.
The Great Wall is located at a fairly high altitude, and in January the temperature could drop to -15 degrees Celsius. It is difficult to understand why men take off their pants to take photos in such cold weather, the reporter commented.
The incident sparked heated debate on social media in Japan and China, with many criticizing the behavior.
Its a shame that two Japanese tourists have behaved in such a lack of awareness at a historical site, one person commented.
Some Japanese netizens criticized the behavior, saying two weeks of detention was too light.
Others expressed disappointment: "We often complain about unconscious foreign tourists, but it is our citizens who do things like this abroad."
