HONG KONG, Oct 11 — Eisaku Hara, the head chef at Tempura Uchitsu in Hong Kong’s Four Seasons Hotel, has pled guilty to secretly filming upskirt videos of women, citing depression as a key factor in his actions.

The 50-year-old chef, who previously worked at the Michelin-starred Japanese flagship restaurant in Tokyo, used a pen camera hidden in his backpack to film three women at a Don Don Donki store on April 10, 2022, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

During the court hearing, Hara described his actions as impulsive and linked them to the depression he experienced from being separated from his family in Japan during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Magistrate Tsang Chung-yiu expressed concern over the severity of the offences, noting that the use of a pen camera indicated premeditation.

"I note that the defendant used a pen camera, and that must show that it was premeditated before he took action,” the magistrate was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong newspaper.

Hara’s lawyer argued that his client had a clean record prior to this incident and struggled to manage his emotions due to prolonged separation from his wife and daughter.

The defence also highlighted that Hara had been diagnosed with depression in 2019, a condition exacerbated by travel restrictions during the pandemic.

The lawyer urged the court for leniency, emphasising the significant emotional and legal pressures Hara faced in recent years.

Prosecution evidence revealed that a woman shopper at Don Don Donki noticed suspicious behaviour from Hara and later followed him with her boyfriend after feeling a touch on her calf.

They witnessed Hara place his backpack near another woman in the store, and decided to confront him.

But Hara reportedly fled, dropping two pen cameras outside the store before being apprehended by police, who later found footage of the three victims.

According to the SCMP, Hara told police that he had been influenced by pornography and explained how he had attached the pen camera to a notebook in his bag.

Magistrate Tsang has ordered a probation report on Hara to see if he is suitable for community service and will decide on the sentence on October 28.