Key Facts
• On April 10, 2025, a 20-year-old male student entered Hyogo Prefectural Office.
• He was accompanied by two acquaintances and carried a loudspeaker.
• The man demanded a meeting with Governor Motohiko Saito to request his resignation.
• He used the loudspeaker on the 6th floor, where the governor’s office is located.
• Prosecutors charged him with unlawful entry under building trespass laws.
• The defendant argued his actions were protected under constitutional petition rights.
• He claimed there were no entry restrictions at the time of the incident.
• The man was detained for over two months following his arrest.
• His trial began on July 1, 2025, at Kobe District Court.
• The defense team asserted the arrest was unjust and sought a not-guilty verdict.
Summary
A 20-year-old university student is on trial for allegedly trespassing at the Hyogo Prefectural Office in Kobe on April 10, 2025. Prosecutors claim he unlawfully entered the building with two acquaintances and used a loudspeaker to demand a meeting with Governor Motohiko Saito to request his resignation. The defendant, however, argued that his actions were an exercise of constitutional petition rights and that there were no entry restrictions at the time. He also criticized his two-month detention as unjust. The trial commenced on July 1, 2025, at Kobe District Court, with the defense seeking a not-guilty verdict.
