Top chef given four weeks for filming women

Eunice Lam

A former chef at a Japanese restaurant in Four Seasons Hotel has been sentenced to four weeks in prison, suspended for two years, for secretly filming three women.

Hara Eisaku, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful recording, having used a pinhole camera to capture footage of the women at a Don Don Donki store in Central two years ago.

During sentencing at an Eastern court, magistrate Tsang Chung-yiu expressed concern over the significant delay in prosecution, as Hara was only formally charged this August.

"Delaying the prosecution for two years is unacceptable. If it had been handled promptly, [Hara] could have served his sentence long ago and returned to Japan," Tsang said, adding to the impact this delay had on the victims.

In mitigation, Hara's lawyer said he had lost his job following reporting on the case and suffered reputational damage.

Hara is also dealing with depression due to separation from his family during the pandemic, and his wife is considering divorce.

The incident occurred around 8 pm on April 10, 2022, when a 28-year-old unemployed woman felt a touch on her right calf while shopping with her boyfriend. She discovered Hara holding a black backpack.

A 39-year-old female clerk, shopping with her husband, noticed Hara approaching her with the backpack and lingering for about two minutes.

A black fountain pen was visible next to the backpack.

When Hara tried to leave, the couple confronted him and alerted the police.

Although he tried to flee, he was quickly apprehended.

Officers found a pinhole camera hidden within the pen, along with videos on a memory card that captured images of the two as well as a third woman.

Under caution, Hara admitted to being influenced by pornographic films.

Hara previously served as head chef at Tempura Uchitsu, a restaurant in Four Seasons Hong Kong that is an international branch of the Michelin-starred Tentenpura Uchitsu in Tokyo, where he also worked.

A Four Seasons hotel spokeswoman said, the hotel does not oversee the management of Tempura Uchitsu.

"Although located on our premises, the restaurant is independently operated by another party," she said.