According to a survey released this month by Japan's Cabinet Office, 10.5 percent of respondents said they had been harassed or otherwise subjected to indecent behavior in public. The poll was conducted in February across Japan among more than 36,000 people aged 16 to 29.
“Chikan”, the act of touching or groping without consent in public, often on crowded trains, is a common problem in Japan, where the vast rail network carries millions of passengers every day. It often occurs on packed trains during rush hour.
Passengers queue for the subway in Tokyo. Photo: SOPA
According to the survey, women made up nearly 90% of chikan victims. About two-thirds of respondents said the crime happened on a train. A similar number said it happened during morning or evening rush hours. Many also said they had been groped multiple times, with one saying she was assaulted “almost daily” while in high school.
Efforts to address the "chikan" situation increased at the turn of the century, when major cities like Tokyo began implementing women-only train carriages.
In recent years, more and more surveillance cameras have been installed on trains and stations. Traffic police, both uniformed and plainclothes, have also increased patrols.
Other measures to combat the crime include “anti-groping stamps” that mark attackers with invisible ink, as well as mobile apps that map incidents of groping. Posters to raise awareness of groping have also been put up at train stations, urging people to report crimes.
Still, some survey respondents called for more action from the government. One person wrote: "I want the government to create a crime prevention society, provide mental health care services for victims, and carry out public relations activities to raise public awareness so that victims are not looked down upon."
According to police statistics, Japan arrested nearly 2,000 people nationwide on suspicion of being involved in "chikan" in 2023.
However, many crimes go unreported: 80% of those surveyed said they had been sexually harassed but did not report the crime. Many said they did not realise the seriousness of what had happened to them or thought it was unnecessary to report it to the authorities.
"We need to continue educating people that harassment is a serious crime," a Japanese government spokesman said, adding that public groping should always be reported.
Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer in Japanese studies at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, said the survey results seemed “surprisingly low”. Any Japanese woman, he said, would confirm that harassment was widespread.
Ngoc Anh (according to CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hon-10-nguoi-tre-nhat-ban-tung-bi-sam-so-noi-cong-cong-post303816.html
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