The Emperor’s Birthday new clothes.

In Japan, 23 February is the new emperor’s birthday and as such a public holiday. This year it happened to fall on a Wednesday, making the previous day like a little mid-week Friday. However, we have to be careful not to get carried away when these special holidays come around.

For example, at about 11:30 p.m. on the night of 22 February, a man walked into a laundromat in the Atsubetsu Ward of Sapporo City, Hokkaido. However, upon entering he spotted another man inside who was completely naked. As most people would, the would-be customer immediately left and called the police.

▼ Playing naked guy’s advocate for a moment, the Yutori Kobo laundromat in Atsubetsu Ward does have a really homey interior

When the authorities arrived, they arrested the 21-year-old naked man for indecent exposure. An immediate investigation also found that his clothes were inside one of the washing machines, but it wasn’t turned on. He was also said to have been intoxicated at the time of arrest.

The suspect claimed to be a cook from Ashibetsu City, which is roughly 112 kilometers (70 miles) from Sapporo, and yet the man had no problem making himself right at home there. Police say they are still investigating a motive, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say he was trying to wash his clothes while drunk and failed miserably at it.

Trying to find any more of a rationale is probably an exercise in futility, but it didn’t stop many online comments from trying.

“Maybe he thought it was his house.”
“If you need to wash your clothes and don’t have anything else to wear, what are you supposed to do?”
“He probably didn’t expect anyone else to come in that late at night.”
“Sounds like one of those minimalists.”
“If he at least attempted to hide his naughty bits with something, I’d be more lenient.”
“He’s not on the street, and using the laundry as intended. I don’t see a problem.”
“It isn’t pleasant, but that is what peak efficiency looks like.”
“Laundromats should offer towels or bathrobes for situations like this.”
“If you’re hairy enough, you can get away with stuff like this.”
“But was he wearing a face mask?”
“If I was drunk and puked all over my clothes, I’d want to get it cleaned right away too.”
“Isn’t he putting his own life on the line by doing that in Hokkaido?”

In regards to that last question, the weather in Sapporo at the time of the incident was about -3.5 degrees Celsius (26 degrees Fahrenheit). Not the coldest the area’s ever seen, but not exactly the kind of climate for nude laundry either. It probably wouldn’t have killed him, but certainly put him at risk of some particularly nasty chilblains.

▼ Hokkaido is the land of frozen ghost pants after all

It’s fortunate that the police were able to handle the situation before any harm came to him or others and this serves as a reminder to drink responsibly whenever the holidays roll around. It’s like the old slogan says: “Friends don’t let friends drink and do laundry.”

Source: Hokkaido News UHB, Itai News
Photos © SoraNews24
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