Japan investigates foreign YouTubers accused of dodging train fares and stealing food

Shinkansen high speed in Japan. Foreign YouTubers have been accused of dodging train fares and pretending to be homeless – actions that have caused consternation in Japan. Photograph: Stefano Politi Markovina/Alamy

A rise in the antics of nuisance influencers in Japan, who are accused of duping train ticket collectors and pretending to be homeless to get cash, has caused consternation in the country as tourism number near their pre-pandemic levels.

A railway company in Japan is investigating allegations that a group of four popular foreign YouTubers had travelled long distances by train without paying. One of the suspected fare dodgers, known online as Fidias, posted a video to his 2.38 million subscribers over the weekend showing him and three others evading rail staff and blagging free food.