Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
crime

New study ranks most notorious Japanese train stations for perverts

17 Comments
By Oona McGee, SoraNews24

In Japan, the word fushinsha literally translates to “suspicious person“, and is commonly used by police as a catch-all term to describe voyeurs, flashers and chikan gropers who usually commit acts of sexual harassment in public, often on public transport.

In order to keep an eye on the fushinsha problem, and find out more about where the most incidents have occurred, the Japan Suspicious Person Information Centre (JASPIC) conducted a seven-month study on the subject, compiling information on reports from police and municipalities which revealed that nearly 40 percent of all incidents occurred in and around train stations.

According to JASPIC, 11,607 incidents were officially recorded from March to October this year, with 4,487 reports occurring in the proximity of train stations. The following 25 stations were identified as being the most notorious for suspicious persons, with nine cases recorded at each one.

  • Shin-Sapporo (Hokkaido Prefecture)
  • Nagamachi-Minami (Miyagi Prefecture)
  • Maebashi (Gunma Prefecture)
  • Higashi-Omiya (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Miyahara (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Kami-Fukuoka (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Kita-Toda (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Kasukabe (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Tokorozawa (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Shiki (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Tozuka-Angyo (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Nishi-Kawaguchi (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Honjo (Saitama Prefecture)
  • Ikuta (Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • Noborito (Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • Mukogaoka-Yuen (Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • Shizuoka (Shizuoka Prefecture)
  • Hamamatsu (Shizuoka Prefecture)
  • Komyoike (Osaka Prefecture)
  • Yamato-Saidaiji (Nara Prefecture)
  • Kobe-Sannomiya (Hyogo Prefecture)
  • HyogoHimeji ( Prefecture)
  • Okayama (Okayama Prefecture)
  • Hiroshima (Hiroshima Prefecture)
  • Meinohama (Fukuoka Prefecture)

While nine reports might seem like a small number for each of the above stations, it’s worth noting that the records reflect data collected from a seven-month period, meaning that the stations averaged at least one report each month. Also, according to JASPIC, the unusually high number of reports from Saitama Prefecture could be due to the diligence of reporting from Saitama police, who are known to be particularly thorough when it comes to reporting incidents of suspicious activity.

Prefectural Ranking

Looking at the wider picture, taking into account the total reports of suspicious persons from each prefecture, reveals the following results.

  1. Saitama (1,711)

  2. Osaka (1,227)

  3. Aichi (989)

  4. Tokyo (969)

  5. Hyogo (923)

  6. Hokkaido (717)

  7. Shizuoka (687)

  8. Kanagawa (537)

  9. Fukuoka (508)

  10. Miyagi (426)

  11. Hiroshima (382)

  12. Kyoto (362)

  13. Chiba (241)

  14. Okayama (149)

Tokyo’s Most Notorious Stations

As the busiest area in Japan, the metropolis of Tokyo receives its own report, with the following stations ranked as the most notorious for reports of suspicious persons.

  • Akitsu, Higashimurayma City (8 reports)
  • Kita-Senju, Adachi Ward (7 reports)
  • Hachioji, Hachioji City (6 reports)
  • Araiyakushi-Mae, Nakano Ward (6 reports)
  • Higashi-Jujo, Kita Ward (6 reports)
  • Jujo, Kita Ward (6 reports)
  • Umejima, Adachi Ward (6 reports)
  • Mizue, Edogawa Ward (6 reports)
  • Ogikubo, Suginami Ward (6 reports)
  • Nishi-Kasai, Edogawa Ward (6 reports)

The data collected by JASPIC reveals a number of insightful details regarding the reporting of suspicious persons around Japan. With these results currently making headlines nationwide, JASPIC hopes more people feel encouraged to make reports when necessary and municipalities become more vigilant when recording such incidents.

Source: Toyo Keizai via My Game News Flash

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- New anti-chikan cellphone stickers let you mark train gropers with sign of shame

-- Kyoto police set up system to predict when and where crimes will happen

-- Anime-style art encourages young women to report Japanese train gropers in new posters

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

17 Comments
Login to comment

Nearly half of the stations listed are in Saitama as well as Saitama taking the most reports per prefecture. But, Saitama is a nice place to live, not!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I wonder if Hachioji's (my home station) high numbers have any correlation with the high number of universities in the area.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I'm a little curious about the JASPIC site..

so for example, clicking on the link provided in the article gives us information and we have a bit of information like the below:

埼玉県 所沢市(下半身露出)2

埼玉県 川口市(全裸)3

Is this like something that states "incidents so far for the month of January" or similar?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I've seen guys taking pictures under skirts here so I believe the number of cases could be far higher...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Only seen 2 guys doing upskirt photos and one friend who was watched in the toilet, cried for help and was ignored. She left Japan after that. My friends girlfriend who worked in a famous cafe found cameras in the toilet.this is in my whole Japan life, and I’m a boring guy who doesn’t go out much. Must happen more.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

埼玉県 所沢市(下半身露出)2

Saitama-ken Tokorozawa-shi (exposing lower half of body) 2

埼玉県 川口市(全裸)3

Saitama-ken Kwaguchi-shi (fully naked) 3

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Strangerland, is this like a total of reports in those locations, that kind of thing. Sorry. My reading is pretty sub-par.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I just translated what you posted. Seems to be a report of location cross referenced with type of crime and number of times it happened. But that’s just going off what you posted.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Noticed and expected all around major business, bedtown, tourist centers.

No sure but I recall saitama is/was one of the majors areas for Tokyo to commute from, not if Chiba, Kanagawa are on same levels?

Similar should apply to Osaka/Kobe, given how much of Japanese work/commute there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In over 20yrs here I haven't seen one guy taking upskirts pics, touching/sniffing hair or strangely worn minis but never the act itself as trains are just too crowded unless it happens right next to you rare as many gropers, etc work in groups surrounding the target.

Kurisupisu good on you I hope each of those cases was reported by you and ended up in a conviction.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Poor Saitama, I lived in Kawagoe for 7.5 years and loved it. I will admit that taking Tobu Tojo line was sometimes a tad unpleasant, but I have fond memories of the place so I don't let that from stop me from visiting now and then. As for flashers and perverts, I only had one incident in Saitama, and it was a gaijin. Also lived in Hokkaido for a few years, yes can confirm that there are some dirty old men up there. In my 7 years of living in Tokyo I have encountered just one flasher, it was during spring which I believe is peak flasher season.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've seen guys taking pictures under skirts here so I believe the number of cases could be far higher...

Personally I've never seen anyone taking upskirt pictures. So I believe the number of cases is actually far lower.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Bungle

Ha ha! Great post! Cup Ramen for you tonight though, sir!

Saitama, outdoing itself! If I'm correct, one of those lines in from Urawa or somewhere has the women only carriages - must be rammed. I've got this weird mental picture of Saitama salarymen waving their junk at it in frustration at not being allowed to get amongst it.

I know the Tojo line well but have never seen any weirdness, except one guy trying to make a run for it at Wako station after the lady he was fondling ratted him out and being tackled and brought back by the Tojo Line employees. Stirling job by those gents.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I7d say Saitama and the Odakyu line have some perv problems....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Surely if a person (usually a man) commits such an act he is a hentaisei rather than merely "fushin"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Two solutions can be immediately implemented that will reduce the number of pervert-related incidents: one care for women only and one car for men only.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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