Twitch streamer reportedly arrested after exploring Fukushima ruins

American Twitch streamer ‘JOEYKAOTYK’ has reportedly been arrested after filming himself and a friend exploring abandoned buildings in Japan’s Fukushima prefecture.

On March 11, 2011, Japan was rocked when the country experienced a 9.0–9.1 undersea earthquake that sparked a series of massive tsunamis. These combined natural disasters caused the meltdown of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

The incident, often referred to as the ‘Fukushima Daiichi Accident,’ remains one of the most severe nuclear catastrophes ever recorded in human history. The area boasts an ‘exclusion zone’ around the plant, where radiation is considered to be too severe for humans to withstand.

To this day, certain areas of Fukushima are still off-limits…but that didn’t stop one adventurous Twitch streamer and his buddy from trying to explore these warded-off regions for themselves.

Twitch streamer arrested after broadcasting Fukushima exploration

On June 19, Twitch streamer and breakdancer ‘JOEYKAOTYK’ set off with friend and fellow ‘adventurer’ Michael Gakuran to explore Fukushima together.

fukushima day 1, exploring with @gakuranman live on twitch pic.twitter.com/yGH3Jz6Q4w

— JOEYKAOTYK (@JoeyKaotyk) June 19, 2023

The two broadcasted their adventures scouring through abandoned buildings and homes — some of which looked as though they’d just been left by their owners, showing almost no signs of age or wear and tear.

However, their stream abruptly ended after the pair opened up a window to get inside an inn.

As reported by Fukushima TV, it turns out that the streamers were arrested on suspicion of breaking into a building. 

According to police reports, the streamers allegedly broke into a closed inn in Fukushima Prefecture’s Okuma Town on June 20, around 11:20 PM.

Fukushima TV reports that netizens saw the stream and reported the explorers to local authorities. Comments spotted across the internet show users speaking out against the pair for “trespassing” into the buildings and homes in the area.

This isn’t the first time a Twitch streamer has been arrested for their antics, by far; in 2018, a streamer was arrested with a $75,000 bail after setting of a fake bomb alert at his university.