A recent study by Japan's Cabinet Office has
revealed that one
in ten young people in Japan have been victims of harassment on public
transport or in public places . This alarming finding highlights the
persistence of this problem, despite the measures taken by the government to
combat it. Most of the victims are women, according to the report.
The study was conducted nationwide in February,
surveying more than 36,000 people ages 16 to 29 . The results,
published this month, indicate that 10.5% of respondents have
experienced sexual harassment , known in Japan as “chikan.” About
90% of the victims are women , and approximately two-thirds of the
incidents occurred on trains.
Many respondents reported being victims on
multiple occasions , and some even noted that they were
bullied almost daily during their high school years . These data
reflect the severity and frequency of the problem, underscoring the need
for more effective measures to protect passengers.
Since the beginning of this century, large Japanese
cities such as Tokyo have implemented women-only carriages as
a measure to combat harassment. In addition, surveillance cameras have
been installed in trains and stations, and the presence of railway
police , both uniformed and plain, has been strengthened
. At the stations, posters warn about harassment and encourage
reporting of these acts.
Despite these measures, some survey
participants demand a more forceful response from the
authorities. Police statistics indicate that in 2023, around 2,000
people were arrested on suspicion of sexual harassment .
However, most cases go unreported . According to the
study, 80% of victims did not report the incidents to the
police or other authorities. Reasons for not reporting include not recognizing
the seriousness of what happened or considering that it was not worth
reporting to the authorities.
- " I
have never been a victim of sexual harassment ."
- « Periodic
surveys may need to be carried out. I have also been a victim of
harassment several times, but I have never filed a report because I didn't
know who the culprit was or because I was in a hurry for work or school.
Also, I didn't know how to react to ambiguous situations, like when
someone squeezed my hand or hugged me from behind saying it was a mistake .
- « Wouldn't
that be an exaggeration? ».
- « The
Cabinet Office has taken a long time to carry out this survey
- " I
have also been a victim of harassment
- " I
don't understand what pleasure they find in harassment... How
disgusting... Their brains are rotten ."
- « So
few victims? ».
- « I
often see comments on the internet that aggressively defend crimes, but I
have never seen them defend the idiots who harass them. They must be
really sick in the head to do something like that .
Source: Otakomu
