Fidias Panayiotou, a YouTuber known for doing challenges, is currently under investigation for being a suspected train fare dodger.
The controversy surrounding Fidias Panayiotou
Panayiotou uploaded a now-deleted YouTube video entitled “I Travelled Across Japan For Free” — where he hid in the train’s bathroom and pretended to be sick when caught. In this video, Panayiotou and three other content creators are doing a race to win $10,000 and the YouTuber proudly showed off how he was able to ride trains for “free.”
The YouTuber also went to a hotel in Kyoto and pretended to be a paying guest to get a free breakfast. “I just (got) access to a five-star Japanese buffet. And we’re leaving the hotel without getting caught and without any problem,” Panayiotou told his viewers.
The response
Regional train operator JR Kyushu said they saw the video and are currently investigating the group before filing a police report. The YouTube issued an apology after receiving backlash.
In response to the backlash, Panayiotou apologized in the comment section of the video. He claims that the reason for committing the crimes he did was due to lack of research on his part. Unfortunately, for him, his apology wasn’t received well.
On-going controversies for YouTubers in Japan
Panayiotou is not the first content creator to receive backlash for doing problematic content in Japan. Logan Paul was under massive fire for showing a dead body in Aokigahara forest. Twitch streamer Joey Khao was also detained for a month for illegally exploring the inhabited zone of Fukushima.
Japan has been experiencing “overtourism” and cases of misbehavior from foreigners. To combat this problem, the Japanese government is taking a measure to increase train fares and promote the lesser popular areas.
According to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, “In some areas and during certain periods, bad manners associated with inbound tourism has had an impact on the lives of local residents.”
We’ll have to see what will come of the investigation, but for now, it seems that the community will continue to shun Panayiotou.
