Americans Get Busted Trying To Break Into Japan Zoo Enclosure Where Punch the Monkey Lives
The charge can come along with a hefty penalty, which can include up to three years in jail.
Published May 18 2026, 3:24 p.m. ET
If you were one of the millions of people who fell instantly in love with Punch, the baby monkey, who rose to viral fame after he was photographed snuggling up with a stuffed animal after being abandoned by his family, then you are likely familiar with the macaque monkey. These adorable little creatures became famous thanks to Punch, and then won the hearts and minds of so many people when the baby primate became internet famous.
However, just like with humans, that fame came at a cost.
The Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan became famous thanks to Punch, and people from all over the world came to visit in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the baby monkey.
The zoo also became infamous as a result of Punch's story, prompting tourists to behave badly when they came to town, including a pair of Americans who are now facing jail time after they filmed themselves performing a stunt that involved breaking into the macaque zoo enclosure. You can learn more about their escapades below.
Two Americans were arrested after breaking into the monkey enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo.
A college student and a singer are looking at jail time after The Japan Times says the duo was arrested for breaking into the macaque enclosure. A 24-year-old donned an outfit that included an emoji head, an oversized blue suit, and what appeared to be a microphone as he jumped into the dry creek bed that surrounds the money exhibit.
His accomplice, a 27-year-old man who said he is a singer, was also arrested for his role in the stunt, which included filming the performance.
A viral video of the incident shows the monkeys getting agitated by the stunt, originally getting ready to scatter before gathering together on a rock, where they appeared to be making noises at the man inside the enclosure.
For his part, the 24-year-old didn't seem to actually interact with the monkeys, but instead lay out on some rocks in front of them, facing the cameraman and doing something out of sight while onlookers watched with fear and concern for the monkeys in the exhibit.
According to the publication, no monkeys were harmed during the stunt, and zoo officials were quick to apprehend the men. Later, an Ichikawa Police representative revealed that the pair were going to be charged with forcible obstruction of business, which the men — whose identities have been withheld — denied doing.
According to Monolith Law, it appears that this charge can come along with a hefty penalty, which can include up to three years in jail and a fine of up to 500,000 yen ($3,144.58).
There's been a rise in tourists behaving badly in Japan.
The Japan Times reports that there has been a rise in people filming themselves while breaking the law, including a Ukrainian YouTube star who shared a video with his 6.5 million followers as he entered Fukushima's nuclear exclusion zone in 2025.
In 2023, a U.S. streamer was arrested after trespassing at another site, highlighting just how common these incidents are becoming in Japan.