Yamanashi Prefecture — A Chinese hotel owner charged with ordering the unauthorized cutting of trees obstructing views of Mt. Fuji pleaded for leniency in court, expressing remorse and declaring his wish to obtain Japanese citizenship.
The Incident
The case centers on a 2022 incident at “Kumo no Ue Fuji Hotel,” a luxury hotel opened in 2020 near Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture. Trees located on an adjacent lot, which blocked the hotel’s view of Mt. Fuji, were secretly and illegally cut down without the owner’s permission.
The Defendant
Guo Yachuan (53), a Chinese national using the alias “Masaharu Akiyama,” was the hotel’s operator. At his first trial on July 8 at the Kofu District Court, he appeared in a black suit and admitted to ordering the illegal cutting.
“I take full responsibility. It was a rash and emotional decision,” Guo told the court.
During the session, Guo and his wife exchanged solemn nods while she testified in his defense.
“Our income plummeted during COVID, and my husband was under immense stress managing the hotel,” she said tearfully. “He truly feels responsible.”
When asked by the defense lawyer whether she would continue supporting him, she replied, “Yes, I promise I will.”
Defense Seeks Suspended Sentence
Guo’s defense argued that the crime was driven by desperation and a deteriorating mental state due to business struggles. They requested a suspended sentence or a fine, citing mitigating circumstances.
Guo added,
“My daughter is taking entrance exams for a Japanese university this year. My family and I want to become Japanese citizens. I don’t want this incident to affect that.”
Prosecution Pushes for Prison
However, prosecutors are demanding a full one-year prison sentence, stating:
“The act was bold, malicious, and calculated. He even had the branches removed to delay discovery.”
Surveillance footage from the hotel was submitted as evidence, showing the tree branches being cut and later retrieved.
Bribery and Concealment
The court was also shown footage of Guo handing what appeared to be a thick envelope—likely containing money—to the hired tree cutter. Investigators confirmed that Guo paid around 1.3 million yen (approx. USD 12,000) for the operation.
A company representative from the affected property commented on a fake cover-up attempt:
“There’s a hole here, covered with filler to hide it—clear evidence of tampering.”
Audio recordings on a smartphone revealed Guo reminding the contractor to cover the holes properly.
Attempted Escape to Hong Kong
The prosecution further criticized Guo for attempting to flee justice:
“After the tree cutter was arrested, Guo fled to Hong Kong the very next day,” prosecutors said. “He tried to negotiate a settlement with the victims to avoid arrest.”
Guo remained abroad for seven months before returning to Japan and turning himself in. The 20 million yen settlement offer he proposed was rejected by the victims and instead deposited with the court as a trust.
“I swear I will never again violate Japanese law,” Guo told the judge.
Victims Demand Deportation
The verdict is set for August 18. Meanwhile, a representative of the victimized company stated:
“Frankly, we’re scared. We can no longer coexist as neighbors. I hope he receives a prison sentence and is deported from Japan.”
The Japanese could make a national sport out of cutting down trees. I guess they don’t want the competition from abroad. 😉
Former Big Motor manager?
Obviously Mr. Guo or any of his family never read r/treelaw
If he were Japanese would he see jail time? I doubt it.
I was pretty sympathetic up until the point he tried to flee to Hong Kong to avoid his charges
But on google reviews apparently the view is great now. From some of the 5 star reviews:
“5/5
5 days ago on Google
Great experience. We stayed for two nights. The private bath with Mount Fuji views was luxurious. They also had the most comfortable soft beds and pillows. Sitting on the balcony in the morning with a cup of coffee overlooking the lake and mountains was delightful. Fuji-san made an appearance both days, so we felt very lucky.”
And
“The view was great directly see mount fuji”
And
“And the best part of this hotel, it includes a view of Mt. Fuji! ”
“Mt. Fuji could be seen from the open-air bath attached to the room, which was great.”
“The room had a panoramic view of Mt. Fuji, and the view of it illuminated by the sunrise and sunset was truly spectacular. ”
“Luckily, we were able to see Mt. Fuji.”
“We were lucky to see the beautiful Mount Fuji.”
What about the person who cut down the trees?
He deeply regrets… being caught.
Interesting. The same thing is happening at the base of Mt. Youtei with a company called J Corp.
WOW! I can’t believe 1.3 million yen used to get us $12,000.
Nah. Fuck this guy.
Tree law, tree law, tree law!
I wish our town would stop cutting down trees that “inconvenience” people or are places the concrete mafia are obsessed with paving over. We’ve lost so many nice ones.
While I think it was wrong of him to do that, what’s the difference between this and what they’re trying to do to Yoyogi Park
What a dirtbag. Typical for a Chinese business operator.
Fifty lashes for him, a round of aggressive buggery, and deportation.
These people are always sorry and show remorse for their actions, after they get caught. This was deliberate and planned for personal financial gain, no leniency should be shown.
Deport him and his wife. We don’t need to keep the rotten apples.
What would be the penalty for a Japanese person in China for this? Immediate deportation at least I’d say. Why not apply that standard then?
He knew what he was doing was wrong. He paid the tree cutter in cash, had the evidence removed, and the holes filled.
Then he fled to Hong Kong to avoid prosecution and stayed there for 7 months.
I’d much rather the Japanese courts just deported him with a “never come back” note, and confiscated his assets to replace the trees and compensate the owners.
My overall impression though is that he was just an idiot. The main problem with a lot of these cedar trees is that they were planted after WW2 for building new houses, but the main construction material changed from wood to other materials, and laws forbid them being cut down unless new trees are planted. If he’d approached the owner of the land and made up some business reason (e.g. “We need to make a new picnic area and since your trees are so close and convenient could I buy them from you? We’ll replace them with lovely cherry trees.”) then I’m pretty sure he could have got the lot for a few million yen, everyone would be happy and feel they got a good deal.
Instead he choose to be a sneaky jerk about it. And not even a very bright sneaky jerk. Nobody is NOT GOING TO NOTICE when a dozen huge cedar trees go missing. This was going to bite him on the ass sooner or later.
This is precisely the sort of person who needs to be sent back to where they came from with a stern, “Go be a jerk somewhere else.” I don’t think that a year in prison (or even 10 years) will change his character, he’s the sort of person who will probably walk in thinking they’re the victim and walk out thinking the same.
If this happened in China with a Japanese national, I’m absolutely positive a long long long prison sentence would be handed down along with deportation right afterwards.
Japan prides itself in its culture and respect for the law. In China, a lot of the culture rewards and encourages selfish behavior. There are many Chinese that go around disrespecting other countries.
If you care about your country, be harsh. This man will bring his destructive ideology, pass it onto his kids, and have it reflect on to others.
He does not deserve leniency and I sure hope he doesn’t get it.
Imagine ruining your whole life over a tree. What a cretin.
26 comments
Yamanashi Prefecture — A Chinese hotel owner charged with ordering the unauthorized cutting of trees obstructing views of Mt. Fuji pleaded for leniency in court, expressing remorse and declaring his wish to obtain Japanese citizenship.
The Incident
The case centers on a 2022 incident at “Kumo no Ue Fuji Hotel,” a luxury hotel opened in 2020 near Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture. Trees located on an adjacent lot, which blocked the hotel’s view of Mt. Fuji, were secretly and illegally cut down without the owner’s permission.
The Defendant
Guo Yachuan (53), a Chinese national using the alias “Masaharu Akiyama,” was the hotel’s operator. At his first trial on July 8 at the Kofu District Court, he appeared in a black suit and admitted to ordering the illegal cutting.
“I take full responsibility. It was a rash and emotional decision,” Guo told the court.
During the session, Guo and his wife exchanged solemn nods while she testified in his defense.
“Our income plummeted during COVID, and my husband was under immense stress managing the hotel,” she said tearfully. “He truly feels responsible.”
When asked by the defense lawyer whether she would continue supporting him, she replied, “Yes, I promise I will.”
Defense Seeks Suspended Sentence
Guo’s defense argued that the crime was driven by desperation and a deteriorating mental state due to business struggles. They requested a suspended sentence or a fine, citing mitigating circumstances.
Guo added,
“My daughter is taking entrance exams for a Japanese university this year. My family and I want to become Japanese citizens. I don’t want this incident to affect that.”
Prosecution Pushes for Prison
However, prosecutors are demanding a full one-year prison sentence, stating:
“The act was bold, malicious, and calculated. He even had the branches removed to delay discovery.”
Surveillance footage from the hotel was submitted as evidence, showing the tree branches being cut and later retrieved.
Bribery and Concealment
The court was also shown footage of Guo handing what appeared to be a thick envelope—likely containing money—to the hired tree cutter. Investigators confirmed that Guo paid around 1.3 million yen (approx. USD 12,000) for the operation.
A company representative from the affected property commented on a fake cover-up attempt:
“There’s a hole here, covered with filler to hide it—clear evidence of tampering.”
Audio recordings on a smartphone revealed Guo reminding the contractor to cover the holes properly.
Attempted Escape to Hong Kong
The prosecution further criticized Guo for attempting to flee justice:
“After the tree cutter was arrested, Guo fled to Hong Kong the very next day,” prosecutors said. “He tried to negotiate a settlement with the victims to avoid arrest.”
Guo remained abroad for seven months before returning to Japan and turning himself in. The 20 million yen settlement offer he proposed was rejected by the victims and instead deposited with the court as a trust.
“I swear I will never again violate Japanese law,” Guo told the judge.
Victims Demand Deportation
The verdict is set for August 18. Meanwhile, a representative of the victimized company stated:
“Frankly, we’re scared. We can no longer coexist as neighbors. I hope he receives a prison sentence and is deported from Japan.”
The Japanese could make a national sport out of cutting down trees. I guess they don’t want the competition from abroad. 😉
Former Big Motor manager?
Obviously Mr. Guo or any of his family never read r/treelaw
If he were Japanese would he see jail time? I doubt it.
I was pretty sympathetic up until the point he tried to flee to Hong Kong to avoid his charges
But on google reviews apparently the view is great now. From some of the 5 star reviews:
“5/5
5 days ago on Google
Great experience. We stayed for two nights. The private bath with Mount Fuji views was luxurious. They also had the most comfortable soft beds and pillows. Sitting on the balcony in the morning with a cup of coffee overlooking the lake and mountains was delightful. Fuji-san made an appearance both days, so we felt very lucky.”
And
“The view was great directly see mount fuji”
And
“And the best part of this hotel, it includes a view of Mt. Fuji! ”
“Mt. Fuji could be seen from the open-air bath attached to the room, which was great.”
“The room had a panoramic view of Mt. Fuji, and the view of it illuminated by the sunrise and sunset was truly spectacular. ”
“Luckily, we were able to see Mt. Fuji.”
“We were lucky to see the beautiful Mount Fuji.”
What about the person who cut down the trees?
He deeply regrets… being caught.
Interesting. The same thing is happening at the base of Mt. Youtei with a company called J Corp.
[if a tree is cut down illegally for a better view, Australia will install a metal sign to reblock the view. the same should apply here.](https://old.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1f375vc/if_someone_cuts_down_a_tree_for_their_view_in/)
Deport them. They will break the law again.
WOW! I can’t believe 1.3 million yen used to get us $12,000.
Nah. Fuck this guy.
Tree law, tree law, tree law!
I wish our town would stop cutting down trees that “inconvenience” people or are places the concrete mafia are obsessed with paving over. We’ve lost so many nice ones.
While I think it was wrong of him to do that, what’s the difference between this and what they’re trying to do to Yoyogi Park
What a dirtbag. Typical for a Chinese business operator.
Fifty lashes for him, a round of aggressive buggery, and deportation.
These people are always sorry and show remorse for their actions, after they get caught. This was deliberate and planned for personal financial gain, no leniency should be shown.
Deport him and his wife. We don’t need to keep the rotten apples.
What would be the penalty for a Japanese person in China for this? Immediate deportation at least I’d say. Why not apply that standard then?
He knew what he was doing was wrong. He paid the tree cutter in cash, had the evidence removed, and the holes filled.
Then he fled to Hong Kong to avoid prosecution and stayed there for 7 months.
I’d much rather the Japanese courts just deported him with a “never come back” note, and confiscated his assets to replace the trees and compensate the owners.
My overall impression though is that he was just an idiot. The main problem with a lot of these cedar trees is that they were planted after WW2 for building new houses, but the main construction material changed from wood to other materials, and laws forbid them being cut down unless new trees are planted. If he’d approached the owner of the land and made up some business reason (e.g. “We need to make a new picnic area and since your trees are so close and convenient could I buy them from you? We’ll replace them with lovely cherry trees.”) then I’m pretty sure he could have got the lot for a few million yen, everyone would be happy and feel they got a good deal.
Instead he choose to be a sneaky jerk about it. And not even a very bright sneaky jerk. Nobody is NOT GOING TO NOTICE when a dozen huge cedar trees go missing. This was going to bite him on the ass sooner or later.
This is precisely the sort of person who needs to be sent back to where they came from with a stern, “Go be a jerk somewhere else.” I don’t think that a year in prison (or even 10 years) will change his character, he’s the sort of person who will probably walk in thinking they’re the victim and walk out thinking the same.
If this happened in China with a Japanese national, I’m absolutely positive a long long long prison sentence would be handed down along with deportation right afterwards.
Japan prides itself in its culture and respect for the law. In China, a lot of the culture rewards and encourages selfish behavior. There are many Chinese that go around disrespecting other countries.
If you care about your country, be harsh. This man will bring his destructive ideology, pass it onto his kids, and have it reflect on to others.
He does not deserve leniency and I sure hope he doesn’t get it.
Imagine ruining your whole life over a tree. What a cretin.