Two American content creators are now banned from Japan for at least five years after a misguided social media stunt landed them in serious legal trouble at a zoo near Tokyo.
Reid Jahnai Daysun, 24, and Neal Jabahri Duan, 27, were arrested following an incident at Ichikawa Zoo on May 17, 2026.
Daysun entered the enclosure of Punch, a Japanese macaque who has become one of the most beloved animals on the internet, while Duan filmed from outside. Daysun was wearing a bright blue suit and a giant emoji-style mascot head, imagery tied to a memecoin cryptocurrency promotion.
Punch is no ordinary zoo animal. After being abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, he was raised by zoo staff. When keepers reintroduced him to the wider monkey troop, he struggled to fit in and was frequently pushed away by other monkeys.
Videos of Punch dragging around a stuffed orangutan for companionship drew millions of viewers worldwide. A dedicated fanbase formed around his story, with social media pages and websites tracking his daily activities. Visitor numbers at the zoo more than doubled, and donations eventually reached the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When Daysun dropped into the enclosure, the reaction was immediate. Nearly 50 to 60 monkeys, including Punch, were inside at the time. Witnesses reported that the troop scattered and moved toward higher ground. Zoo staff intervened quickly and no animals were reported injured, though staff later stated the animals appeared frightened by the incident.
The stunt was connected to a content competition run by a cryptocurrency memecoin, with a reported prize of one million dollars. The two men did not win. The associated token briefly rose in value following the media attention but remained roughly 94% below its peak, and quickly retraced once the attention faded.
Following the incident, the zoo expanded restricted viewing areas around the enclosure, installed anti-intrusion netting, and began additional patrols. Officials also raised the possibility of restricting photography and filming near the enclosure, changes that directly affect the many genuine fans who travel specifically to see Punch.
Japanese authorities referred the case to prosecutors on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business. Both men denied wrongdoing. They were ultimately fined 300,000 yen each, approximately $1,900, and because Japanese immigration rules bar entry to individuals with a crim inal record within five years, both are effectively banned from the country for at least that period, with the possibility of a longer or permanent ban.
The cryptocurrency company behind the contest later offered a one million yen donation to the zoo, though no direct apology was issued by either man. As for the prize they were chasing, it went unclaimed, leaving the pair with fines, a month in custody, and a multi-year travel ban as the full return on their investment.
