Imagine a drunk man yelling, struggling, and bothering everyone who passes by on the street. Now imagine the police, instead of fighting him, pulling out a thick tarp and wrapping him up like a burrito.
That’s what viral videos from February 2026 in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo, showed: officers restraining a man who was drunk and transporting him wrapped up. It’s called hogo shiito, meaning “protective sheet”, and according to a specialized blog, it’s a sturdy sheet kept in patrol cars and police stations. The person is wrapped up with their head left out so they can breathe, and the goal is to prevent blows, injuries, and excessive force while they sober up.
The technique has been around for decades and isn’t intended only for tourists, although people on social media compared it to a human sushi roll. That said, there are no official figures on how often it’s used, and some civil rights groups warn that the method must be applied carefully. Do you think this is the most civilized way to deal with a violent drunk?