Professor of one of Japan’s top universities arrested for panty theft

Keio is of Japan’s best and most prestigious universities with many successful alumni having attended and studied there, from prime ministers and CEOs to astronauts and engineers. Keio University is Japan’s equivalent of Stanford and Oxford.

Imagine then, the shock, shame and embarrassment that is felt amongst partisans and supporters when one of its professors is caught stealing panties. 

Seimei Shiratori was allegedly wandering through the streets of Ichikawa City, Biba Prefecture, on November 17, when he noticed a bra and panties belonging to a woman in her 30s hanging out on a laundry line on a first-floor balcony alluringly within arms reach. 

Seimei, who is a 56-year-old professor in the Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics at Keio University, and the founder of Shiratori Nanotechnology, climbed up onto the balcony and tried to reach for the underwear, police reports say. 

The husband of the woman that the underwear belongs to reportedly caught Seimei in the act and shouted “Theif!” to which Seimei responded by making a prompt dash away from the scene of the alleged incident. He didn’t make it very far though, as he was apprehended by police just a few hundred meters up the road. Whether the police just happened to be close by, or if they were actively looking for such disturbances in the area at the time is not clear, but they were there to act quickly nonetheless. 

Keio University confirmed via a statement that one of their faculty members was involved in the incident, saying: “It is with regret that one of our faculty members has been arrested. We are establishing the facts and will act accordingly.” Shiratori himself has also reportedly admitted to the crime, stating: “It is a fact that I stole the underwear”.

This is not the first time that a Keio University members have been involved in controversy as just over a month ago, a player for its football team was accused of taking pictures of a bathing female student secretly and without consent. 

Keio, being Japan’s oldest and one of its most famous universities, with a long history will no doubt want to safeguard its reputation by taking swift action against the professor with a stern talking to and a promise that any panty pinching will not happen again any time soon. 

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