KYOTO — A 61-year-old unemployed resident of Kyoto's Nishikyo Ward was arrested Thursday on suspicion of inflicting injury after allegedly subjecting his neighbors to more than seven years of round-the-clock radio and electric guitar noise, causing several nearby residents to develop insomnia, depression and tinnitus.

Years of noise, despite repeated warnings

According to Kyoto Prefectural Police, the suspect, identified as Kazunori Yokoi, is accused of playing radio broadcasts and amplified electric guitar music at his home between June 2019 and July 2026, causing four nearby residents to develop health problems, including sleep deprivation and psychological distress. Police said complaints and emergency calls from neighbors date back to around 2017, with the disturbance growing steadily worse in the years that followed. Nishikyo Police Station officers had issued Yokoi guidance and formal warnings over the noise on multiple occasions, but police said the situation never improved.

Investigators said Yokoi placed a radio near a window of his home, left the window open, and kept the radio playing continuously, 24 hours a day. He also allegedly played electric guitar through an amplifier for extended stretches, from early morning until late afternoon or evening, according to police.

Measured noise levels rivaled a subway train

When officers measured the noise coming from Yokoi's residence, they recorded levels reaching as high as 80 to 90 decibels, a volume police and city........

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