Tokyo launches anti-groping campaign on public transport

In recent years Japanese social media users have said exam season is viewed by perpetrators as an “opportune” time to grope typically female victims, as they were less likely to report the incident while hurrying to tests, The Japan Times reports.

Tokyo police said groping incidents were common during the morning rush hour, and they are encouraging women to avoid crowded trains and use women-only carriages where available.

The force is also increasing security at stations and sharing awareness messaging through broadcast and flyer campaigns from now until mid-March in an attempt to prevent cases of sexual assault.

The phenomenon of “chikan” (groping on trains) has long been a concern in Japan. The number of related arrests fell from a high of around 3,440 nationwide in 2014 to 1,920 arrests in 2020, a decline partly explained by fewer people traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported South China Morning Post.

This is not the first time the city has undertaken a push to combat groping: In 2009, Tokyo police used a similar leaflet campaign to raise awareness about the issue. And in 2016 the force released a Digi Police app to make it easier to report cases, with a recent study suggesting women are reluctant to report groping incidents for fear of embarrassment.