A train runs on the JR Saikyo Line in Tokyo. Photo: Wikipedia
crime

JR East to test anti-groping app on rush-hour trains

47 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

47 Comments
Login to comment

[cue backpedalling along the lines of "I don't have time, if you don't know I can't blah blah" to which I would say, If you have time to criticize, you have time to clarify.]

I don't have time, if you don't know I can't explain.

hahahahaha

He suggested not making a big deal of some guy flashing you. He says to laugh it off. He never said (as you suggested) to laugh when someone puts their hand up a girl’s skirt. Learn to read.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My point is that you failed to understand his. Hence I asked if you had actually read his comment.

Then please explain the relevance.

[cue backpedalling along the lines of "I don't have time, if you don't know I can't blah blah" to which I would say, If you have time to criticize, you have time to clarify.]

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So what's your point?

My point is that you failed to understand his. Hence I asked if you had actually read his comment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It’s not who you find to be sexy. It’s what you do to unwilling people.

Which is why I always check to see if they are willing first.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@bugleboybbb:

Why yes. Yes I did. You're right, it is pretty much irrelevant to this discussion, but he seemed to be trying to connect the one situation - a woman in the UK being flashed from a distance within a carriage - with the situation of being physically assaulted on a crowded carriage anyway.

So what's your point?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@BertieWooster: When some guy shoves his hand up a girl's skirt on a train so crowded she can't move, and she is too scared to react, you think "Laugh it off" is the appropriate response?

Did you actually read his comment??

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@BertieWooster: When some guy shoves his hand up a girl's skirt on a train so crowded she can't move, and she is too scared to react, you think "Laugh it off" is the appropriate response?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Can men report it if they get groped?

No, women are too subtle about it. They like to just eye-fluck and gently brush against me on the train.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Here's another laughter story.

It happened a real long time ago, when I was at university in London. My girlfriend was coming home on the tube (subway) late at night. The carriage was empty except for a guy sitting opposite her. He opened his coat, exposing his "naughty bits." She just thought it too funny for words and burst out laughing. It just cracked her up. He covered up, apparently and got off at the next stop.

Laugh it off! Much better than getting all "traumatic" about it!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Can men report it if they get groped?

I don't see why not. Molesting people is clearly wrong, and should be reported. Alas, the trauma and shame for many victims can often lead to a fear of coming forward. That the victims will be ridiculed and/or disbelieved.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Can men report it if they get groped?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No Business

Feb. 6  04:09 pm JST

Why do so many Japanese men find very young girls still at school sexy?

It’s backed by science. I find it weird some people question facts.

http: //i.4pcdn.org/ pol/1558629186181.jpg

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

“Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another. But by all meanstry something” - FD Roosevelt

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It bears repeating. One can judge the civility of a society by how it treats its women.

A large number of women decided that they hated to be put on a pedestal and protected. Now, unfortunately, it’s every man (and woman) for themselves. An app won’t change the lowered stature of women in society - they are no longer considered to be anything special. Just like men. Maybe feminists can hold classes for women to do what men do when they are assaulted- hit back.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

No BusinessToday  04:09 pm JST

Why do so many Japanese men find very young girls still at school sexy? That needs to be the starting point for any action.

Thats the only type of girls most Japanese men find sexy. Teen age girls in school. If you are out of school and out of your teens most Japanese men don't find you sexy at all.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What a farce.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Why not just use that blue ink banks use to mark the molester's hands? Certainly, someone could make a lipstick-sized version?

Imagine the embarrassment of going home, to work, with those stains for a week? Explain that to your wife, daughter, boss, and the police.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

All the seats were taken on the train. There was a line of people holding the straps and a few people here and there in the centre of the carriage. One guy stood out particularly. He was standing right up against a girl who was reading a magazine, holding a strap. I had my eye on him because he was just a bit too close to the girl. Then I noticed his hips moving. I just burst out laughing. I mean it was just so ridiculous. I yelled at him, in Japanese, "What? Are you in heat or something?" His face went bright red and he quickly moved toward the door and got off at the next stop.

Anyone who gropes women on the train or does weird stuff like this has got to be a coward. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to make any fuss about. Laughing is good. Telling him to folk off (misspelling) or kneeing him in the groin ought to be enough. A bit of help from chivalrous males nearby wouldn't go amiss either.

iPhone app?

That's about as ridiculous as the guy in heat!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

more idiotism

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

You know...people are critical. And this is a difficult issue to deal with. But, this is ONE way to handle the problem. We are now in a very cell-phone-oriented society. Maybe this will help those who are too frightened to report an obvious crime to finally do so. It's not a cure-all...but it is just one way. And, they have tried to build in steps to prevent people from making false accusations. So, let's try it and see if it has any effect on the perpetrators who are doing this.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ No Business - Did you read the article? Once someone uses the app, it alerts the conductor who then makes a public announcement. Don't you think everyone on the train will be looking around to see who it is?

Yes, I'm sure the ONLY person in the whole carriage using their smartphone will be the victim....eyes roll.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Might as well play a loud siren noise on your phone rather than use this app

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Maria is obviously not aware of the conviction rate in Japan where people have been kidnapped and made to confess without a lawyer. Gohsn was held for how long and he had money. If they want to catch these people install cameras in the train and tell everyone that they are being recorded so there won't be anyone trying to play games with the system. People ignore the daily violence against main even more than the violence against women and this has been psychologically and legally proven. The entire process needs to be fair so that people aren't used as scapegoats because its too easy to point fingers and have the police thinking that the accuser is mentally stable and believable 100% of the time. The train company can literally pay people to watch cameras to identify groping. They can also increase people security on the train because like hell I would want anyone driving the train and trying to manage watching for gropers at the same time.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The app brought to you by same group that did the iowa caucus app

2 ( +3 / -1 )

"There's an app it!, There's an app for everything."

0 ( +1 / -1 )

There is absolutely nothing to back up these assumptions that this move will result in false accusations.

Has the increase in burglar / car alarms led to an increase in home- and car-owners lying about their property being stolen?

False accusations of molestation and rape are no more common than false accusations for any other crime.

That is to say, only a tiny percentage of crimes reported are actually false. It is just that the media - as well as those whom it benefits to spread this lie about the frequency of false accusations by women - highlight the exception while ignoring the reality of daily violence against women.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

It bears repeating. One can judge the civility of a society by how it treats its women.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

It's still disturbing.

That’s one opinion. Just like it’s my opinion that some girls in school uniform look sexy.

You yourself have admitted,bad an adult, to finding 12 year old Natalie Portman sexy.

Thank you for remembering!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Thinking a young girl is sexy is not illegal.

It's still disturbing. You yourself have admitted,bad an adult, to finding 12 year old Natalie Portman sexy.

Train sex pests aren't exclusively Japanese.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

No android version? They literally only support a non Japanese phone?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Once someone uses the app, it alerts the conductor who then makes a public announcement. Don't you think everyone on the train will be looking around to see who it is

Thats really going to raise the bar! Will need to be at least a level 10 Groper to successfully get away with it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

miserable and shameful JAPAN!. This must be some kind of mental sickness.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@ No Business - Did you read the article? Once someone uses the app, it alerts the conductor who then makes a public announcement. Don't you think everyone on the train will be looking around to see who it is?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why do so many Japanese men find very young girls still at school sexy? That needs to be the starting point for any action.

It’s not who you find to be sexy. It’s what you do to unwilling people.

Thinking a young girl is sexy is not illegal. Groping her is.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

No business:

Why do so many Japanese men find very young girls still at school sexy?

Some people find old people attractive too or same sex. Different strokes different folks, i guess. Not just japan either. Society is evolving. People are more open now.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

educate entire nation to recognize a simple hand signal for example if a female raises an arm with say middle finger extended it means she's being groped, everyone in the car will be alerted to take action or call authorities, and groper will run away. Japanese already have a few universal hand gestures - run finger down ones cheek means yakuza, the two fingered peace sign, pinky extended means promise, finger in nose means digging for gold :-)

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The app, which can also sound an alarm, will be available on Apple iPhones. 

No Android version? iPhone has the biggest market share in Japan but still many people use Android phones.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

"Anti-groping app" haw haw haw.

Do i even need to hear more? Sounds like those posters they set up, they sure help a lot. (Sarcasm)

5 ( +6 / -1 )

An "anti-groping app" is just feeble pretense, It won't cure the problem. Instead it will lead to many more situation like in the movie "I just didn't do it", which is educational also about legal 'procedures' in such and other cases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjS0W0-KSUA

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I have to wonder how many alleged victims would not want to use this ap, because once the alarm is sounded, everyone in the train car will be looking at her.

Huh? That's not how it works. That wouldn't happen.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

And what if she's one of those alleged victims we sometimes read about here who are supposedly repeatedly victimized? Will the conductor think 'Oh, her again' and ignore her?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

I have to wonder how many alleged victims would not want to use this ap, because once the alarm is sounded, everyone in the train car will be looking at her.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

Did you not read the article? It says users will be required to register, so their information will be noted whenever they use the ap.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

If a country need such kind of App this means that there are deep social problems within the mind of their men.

Japan should get rid of it’s macho-perverted culture and teach to his male children respect and education for their women.

As always they can’t approach the problem from the route.

Nothing is going to change.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Band-aid on a bullet hole. And what's more, given how many people don't understand how to use apps, I sense there will be many false alarms, and a heap of false accusations. Worse yet, the person making the "accusation" now won't even have to step forward, so people can do it for fun. Hope the police and station staff get a number or something from the person reporting it so they can at least follow up.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

This app may be a good thing, but I can see it being very easily abused resulting in many false accusations.

They are just treating the symptoms of a perverted illness in Japanese men.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Why do so many Japanese men find very young girls still at school sexy? That needs to be the starting point for any action.

20 ( +21 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites