On December 12, 2017, the Tokyo District Court sentenced Oya to one year and 10 months in prison , which was suspended for four years .
: Over 210,000 people signed a petition calling for a harsher sentence. Makoto Oya Cat Videos 2021
His signature style involves extreme close-up lenses, the absence of background music (replaced instead by the raw sounds of purring, rain, or rustling grass), and a documentary-style patience. He doesn't force the cat to perform; he simply observes. On December 12, 2017, the Tokyo District Court
Oya’s videos emerged as a form of digital palliative care. Because they were boring by conventional metrics, they required a specific contract with the viewer. You could not watch an Oya video while also checking Twitter; you would miss the tail flick. The comment sections (now largely scrubbed) were filled not with jokes, but with timestamps: “3:45 – shadow moves,” “1:12 – possible ear twitch.” This collective slow-looking became a ritual. In a year when the algorithm rewarded speed, Oya rewarded patience. His work was a Trojan horse for mindfulness, smuggled inside the most disposable genre on the internet. He doesn't force the cat to perform; he simply observes
While the original crimes and trial took place between 2017 and 2018, the case remains a significant focal point for animal rights activists in Japan:
The legal case against the individual involved reached a conclusion in the Tokyo District Court in late 2017. The court handed down a sentence of one year and 10 months in prison, which was suspended for four years. During the trial, the defense emphasized that the individual had already faced significant "social sanctions," including the loss of professional standing and employment as a tax accountant. While the defendant initially attempted to characterize the actions as a response to property damage, he eventually expressed remorse for the illegal acts committed against the animals. Public Reaction and Advocacy