A Japanese man who served time in a Belarusian prison wrote a book about it. He revealed why law enforcement became interested in him
Japanese man Kei Terui has released a book about how he ended up in a Belarusian prison and underwent KGB interrogations due to his interest in trains. Belarusian propaganda has already reacted to it, writes "Zerkalo".
The book "Prison Notes on 'Study' in Belarus", Kei Terui. Photo: shopping.jreast.co.jp
The release date of Kei Terui's book "Prison Notes on 'Study' in Belarus" is listed as March 25, 2026. It can be purchased on various platforms, including Amazon.
The author writes the following in the description:
«Captivated by photographing railways in the former Soviet Union, in December 2024 I traveled to Belarus, Europe's last dictatorship, in search of new subjects. My hobby led to police intervention. During interrogation, an attempt to hide my connections with friends, so as not to cause them trouble, played against me — I was detained and then sent to prison. In solitude, while incarcerated and learning Russian, I reflect: on my gender identity, on my relationship with my father, and on life in general. This is a 200-day diary of "prison learning". A documentary essay.»
The editor's note states that «the phrase "detained and imprisoned for photographing trains in Belarus" might sound unambiguous and could elicit a rather negative reaction.»
«However, the path to these events was full of internal conflicts for the author, and even in captivity, he continues to worry and doubt. The main strength of this book lies in its honest and open description of his internal struggles and human vulnerability. Furthermore, the book is valuable as a testament to reality: it meticulously describes the conditions of imprisonment in a Belarusian prison, KGB interrogations, and the path to liberation through pardon,» — notes the editor.
On the evening of March 24, one of the Belarusian propaganda Telegram channels reacted to the book's upcoming release. They had not read the work but condemned it. The authors assume that the book is about how "punishers arrested and imprisoned" Japanese national Terui Atsuki. According to propagandists, he was interested in "border towns and villages with Ukraine, and the author had a special 'love' for trains." As a result, he was detained, tried, and in June 2025, pardoned and expelled from the country.
The detention of Japanese citizens in Belarus was reported in 2024. Apparently, the author of the book is a foreigner who was detained on December 1, 2024, in Kalinkavichy. Japanese media wrote that this might be a travel blogger, the author of the "Eteru" blog, who traveled the world and talked about local transport and infrastructure. The blog's description states that "Eteru" is fascinated by Japanese postal services and railways abroad.
At least one Japanese citizen was among the political prisoners released and expelled from the country in December 2025.
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照井希衣 - Кэй Тэруі