Wear it to look like a woman and even ask strangers for photos.
In Japan, men wearing tight-fitting silicone body suits and doll masks to look like women are appearing in public places, causing women to tremble in fear. It was reported that a man dressed up and repeatedly entered the women’s restroom.
On the 30th, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that in Japan, men wearing bodysuits and masks to look like women appeared in public places. These men are called ‘tight men’ because they wear tight-fitting bodysuits.
A Japanese man wearing a silicone bodysuit and mask to look like a woman. [사진출처=SCMP]
They appear to have been inspired by the mask cosplay style rooted in Japanese animation culture. The media explained that mask cosplay enthusiasts wear body suits and masks to more accurately embody their favorite anime characters.
In fact, last February, a video of a person wearing full body tights and a female face mask sitting on a Japanese subway seat went viral on X (formerly Twitter).
On April 21 of the same year, a netizen named ‘Kawaso’ revealed that the ‘woman’ appearing in the video was a man wearing women’s clothing. Kawaso wrote, “The person intentionally sat in a place where there were a lot of women and brought his body close to them,” and added, “I sat a little away, but I was scared.” He also claimed that he reported this man to the police, but no action was taken.
Another netizen said that ‘tight men’ are often seen around Tokyo’s Shibuya subway station and Shinjuku.
One of the tight men, ‘Lin’, officially acknowledged that he is biologically male through an online live broadcast. He reportedly entered the women’s bathroom wearing a bodysuit and mask and asked a stranger for a photo.
A woman who said she met Lin at the time said she had no choice but to comply with his request to take a picture, and posted on her social media, “I was scared because I didn’t know what would happen if I refused.” In response, Lin claimed, “My actions only satisfied my personal desires and did no harm.”
In Japan, illegal entry into a women’s restroom can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of 100,000 yen (about 900,000 won). There are currently no reports of Lin being arrested by authorities.
In Japan, illegality is recognized only when identity is hidden for the purpose of committing a crime. SCMP said there have been no reports of criminal activity involving the group, but their presence raises public safety concerns.
Reporter Kim Hyun-jeong kimhj2023@asiae.co.kr
