Train groper tells police: 'I had some free time'

Molenir, I think the issue is serious enough to warrant the expense and inconvenience of Women Only cars.

But I think the issue of false accusation of men for groping is at least equally serious to the issue of women who don't want to be groped. And throwing into the mix the hoards of women who apparently care so much makes me extra dubious about dedicating any more time, money or energy to this issue beyone those Women Only cars, a service I like to expanded if you must know.

Molenir, it seems you care more than the people you call victims! I am all for making the world a better place, but I think you have the wrong end of the stick. While you seek to tackle this molehill, there are mountains about to crash down on our heads!

Ah, I see you seek to dismiss this as not being a serious issue. Obviously you're neither a woman, nor have you been molested. Have you even been to Japan? Ridden a train there? Or are you one of those who thinks its kinda cool to feel up a stranger against her will?

I look at this as a serious issue. And yes, I blame the victims when they refuse to stand up, because as I said, when they don't stand up for themselves, they are saying, that not only is what happened to them ok, but that its ok for it to happen to another. And that, is what really offends me.

Molenir, it seems you care more than the people you call victims! I am all for making the world a better place, but I think you have the wrong end of the stick. While you seek to tackle this molehill, there are mountains about to crash down on our heads!

Anything else is wasting spirit on dreams of a perfect world.

Anything else, is making the world a better place. The more pervs are outted, the more they are marginalized so that they are looked down on and condemned. The fewer victims there are. What was that stat, something like 91% of women have experienced being molested? That is outrageously high. Those numbers need to be reversed, and it won't happen unless and until women stand up for themselves, and the next woman to be victimized by their molestor.

Well Molenir if its fine, as you say, with one, then it was not an offense and there is no victim. When it isn't fine to the point that women take action, then it becomes an offense. It seems you are looking for pre-emptive measures if you want to prevent next times.

But as Kittyjump points out, we don't know what women are secretly enjoying some of this, and don't act like its impossible for women to only enjoy sexual things within the context some certain people define because women just can't be perverts of the receiving kind. Women-only cars were made for a reason, I think its the only measure, pre-emptive or otherwise, that works well enough, is not subject to abuse, and does not press women to make public things they would rather keep secret. Anything else is wasting spirit on dreams of a perfect world.

Groping a girl is a crime. Then why the police didn't arrest this guy?

Lack of evidence.

Imagine this: I tell the police I killed someone. Can they arrest me? No. Why? Lack of evidence.

Or this: I walk into a police station and say you were groping some third party. Can they arrest you? No.

Well Molenir, if it was not big enough a deal to them, why lose any sleep over it?

Ah, so being groped is fine with them, but what about the gropers next victim? You think it will be fine with them? As I said by allowing people to get away with this, they are giving tacit approval for what is being done to them, as well as allowing them to victimize someone else. If you don't stand up and act, those guilty of this crime and others will repeat it, and possibly escalate it. And while being tossed in jail doesn't necessarily mean they won't repeat their offense, it makes the casual perv much less likely to re-offend.

Well Molenir, if it was not big enough a deal to them, why lose any sleep over it?

Of course women don't like it. We all have things we don't like. But its just HOW MUCH they don't like it that should tell us how to act.

And my point is, that these pervs never stop at one. I guarantee you, this girl was not his first victim. The previous girl chose not to report him, and because of that, he went ahead and molested another. And once again, this one lets him off. I will bet you, he will molest another woman as well. And the first one, and this one too will bear some of the blame, simply because they didn't stand up and do what was needed to stop him.

Molenir, I think you are being harsh. She was definitely not saying that molesting is okay. What she was saying is that ITS NOT THAT BIG A DEAL that she should go through all that trouble of filing charges and court appearances. And therein lies the problem. We hear about how bad, nasty, creepy, etc. etc. this is all the time. But at the end of the day, so many women just want to forget about it. We are stoked to anger and poised for action only to get an "Oh, nevermind!".

Of course women don't like it. We all have things we don't like. But its just HOW MUCH they don't like it that should tell us how to act.

I was upset and pushed him away but I didn't want to file charges or anything like that then either. I'm sympathetic to the girl and understand her decision...

This kind of thing drives me crazy. When you choose not to file charges, you are essentially saying to your molester, that what they are doing is ok. You are saying, that they should go ahead and go out and victimize some other girl. If you do nothing, then you are at least party responsible for their further criminal actions. Do you have a daughter? If so, why not take her, find a molester, and give them permission to abuse your daughter? Because that is precisely what you are doing when you choose not to press charges. His next victim is someone elses daughter, someone elses child. No one should get away with this crap. Its not ok, not to do it, or to let someone get away who does it.

or like the guy above said, paid cos-play fantasy...

No, he can't be arrested and have charges pressed based on hearsay, they need a victim. She might have felt bad for him, thot it was a waste of time and pain in the butt (!) to press charges, or had liked him, or cos play actor... Who knows??

Yes, some 17 yr olds would be scared, but many would not be. I can imagine plenty thinking it was "funny" they were getting the attention, and then even more funny they had the power to send him to jail. As well as other reactions.

I have to say it's an unfortunate headline. Not exactly a bad translation- no other way to translate, however they use that word so much more and in different ways than in English, It sounds like he's trying to avoid giving any other answer or just stating the obvious wwhich is he wasn't at work. Not a good reason, but doesn't sound as absolutely whacko-dumb-a"" as it does in Eng.

Surprised not one person is commenting that she could have been enjoying it. Don't kno how likely, but possible. I have been groped by strangers and felt, alternatively or in combination, embarrassment, humiliation, anger, surprise, thrilled joy. The more you keep your perceptions to the script that some religion or some pc handbook-writer has written for you, the less you can know your true self, know what is really happening right now, and the less you can understand all of what's really in the human heart. (Not saying I know, just saying that knee-jerk is a limitation.)

it's extremely regretable. at least he has some memory of the event.

I don't think these men are thinking at all, they are just letting their basest impulses control them.

I agree with you up to a point, but I really believe that if these men knew there was a very big chance they WOULDNT get away with it (for example, a large percentage of these events wind up like Jimmy1216s story)then I think most of them wouldn`t do it in the first place. They would be stupid to. But the way things are at the moment - either the girl does nothing, or the police do nothing - its hardly an incentive to control yourself.

So actually it would be molesting not groping right?

I`m actually a little confused on the difference - can anyone explain it? I imagine groping is simply touching but molesting goes beyond, right?

Jimney1216...nice story! More women need to know a little basic finger breaking...

I never really hear about it much from countries where the women are more assertive. That is what makes it seem more of a problem here. Why since there were witnessess to this, this guy is not being charged I have no idea. Can not the police hold him and the proscuter's office charge him? I mean this is an under age girl that he felt up. So actually it would be molesting not groping right?

No wonder men think they can get away with it.

I don't think these men are thinking at all, they are just letting their basest impulses control them.

It's interesting that many think it's related to porn or clothing or ads - why do countries with more restrictive ads, no porn, and more conservative clothing have the same problems?

Kind of a funny story that applies to this somewhat. This last winter my wife was on her way home (on the train), she was wearing a nice skirt that stopped right above the knee, nothing unusual or provocative about it. A man about 50ish decided to try to find out what kind of panties she might be wearing. She broke two of his fingers and dropped him to the floor. She called me and I met her down at the cop shop, she did press charges. I hope other women/girls on the train were paying attention (and other would be gropers too). 27 years of jujitsu, she was/is my sensei, when I first came to Japan. My point being is that 50% of her students are now junior high age girls and older, so maybe the time of women "letting" things happen to them is ending....I hope.

I know this is terrible and I don't want to make light of it.... but the explanations Japanese give for crimes amuse me.

Hey Tarou, the movie won't start for another 30 minutes. Do ya wanna grab of coffee or do some chikan?

I'm surprised the cops didn't let him go after suggesting a different train line.

Novenachama

Amazing opinion. No wonder men think they can get away with it...Girls or ladies should just stand there and just "pretend like nothing unusual is happening"?

Although the girl declined to press charges, I wouldn't assume that she was automatically "paid" off.

I would say that to press charges means that she would have to get involved and give a statement to the police. I can easily imagine many ways in which this is undesirable. First, she would have to re-live the scenario. I know many young girls (being a teacher) and I can confidently say that there are MANY girls who are very shy and unwilling to assert themselves. The last thing they want is more attention. It is very possible that the girl wanted to get out of there as quickly as she could and try to 'forget' about what happened.

Pressing charges also might mean involving her parents and while many parents would be understanding and supportive, there might be a few who may not be supportive. Also, whether the parents are supportive or not, the girl most likely doesn't want her parents to know what happened. Perhaps in her mind they would blame her.

I find it interesting that some people automatically think the worst of people. I wonder if they are just projecting their own thoughts?

Soooooooooo Japanese.

Apparently there are no clear-cut laws against assault, unless it is from the victim, leaving the perpetrator to dally at will and simply excuse himself if confronted by a third party. And if she doesn't want further trouble, then it's considered consensual and dismissed by the police. And since there are no police on patrol, they will never witness a crime in progress. How convenient for the miscreants.

Netninja,

I am going to go out on a limb here and say you are fairly accurate with what you are saying. Now before l get clobbered l will say this NO WOMAN or man for that matter deserves to be subjected to unwanted touching, ogling or whatever. However there is a culture here in Japan where the girls (woman) where as little as possible and think nothing about it. This combined with the prevalance of porn (anime and whatever else) it seems to be everywhere and a culture of silence when it comes to unwanted approaches leads to this sort of behaviour. Some men who dont have impulse control or other issues take advantage and are encouraged by this situation. I am not saying get around in neck to foot outfits but have some modesty, for me it is a absolute turnoff walking around Nagoya for example and seeing girls with skirts that short their butt cheeks are hanging out. It really isnt a nice look, but seeing the looks some of the mid aged J men give them is even more sickening. Anyway thats my thoughts.

"the girl declined to press charges"

She didn't want to get involved.

Interesting diatribe netninja, but how does your theory then explain why I was molested by a guy on the train when I was 9 months pregnant and absolutely not dressed in such a way as to be a turkey leg to a caged lion?

Could it be that the reasons why these men do what they do are a little more complicated than those you put forward?

@ALL OF YOU POSTERS!!!

You're all too quick to call this guy a sick puppy. Sure enough what he did was wrong but it's so easy for you to point the finger at him as if we members of society did nothing to encourage him.

YES, we encouraged him. We allowed it to happen even as we celebrate those good samaritans who brought him down.

You'll argue this against me cause it's easy to do so. It takes a more open-minded person to PAUSE....think about it.....and realize that even the man is guilty it's not as if we didn't encourage it. This includes the women.

Next time you get on the train, how many T&A advertisements do you see hanging? I'm so tall so I actually have to move away from some hanging posters as not to have a pair of (silicone) mamories in my face. These girls don't know to dress either.

They're NOT asking for it. They ARE encouraging it. I don't go driving in the hood with my drop top Benz sporting my Rolex over the side as I breeze through the SouthSide. If any of you ever read that kind of story you'd say "YEAH, he was asking for it".

I'm talking about common sense.

I'm not saying it's right but I am saying that society encourages it. I know you're gonna come at me and I agree with you already but it would be a shame if you didn't look for the root of the problem.

Japan puts too much skin out there. You might even see some pajama clad girls on an advertisement on this page. Keeping men in a constant state of arousal creates stress and adverse behavior but it's no different than constantly waving a giant turkey leg at a cage lion.

"assistant director of the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry" + "sent to Iwate Prefecture to help small to medium sized businesses in the wake of the March 11 tsunami" = suspended sentence if prosecuted. The girl knew it was a waste of time.

Sure the guy's a perv but if she doesn't want to press charges, what do you do? Maybe it was uncomfortable but not worth the hassle of dealing with cops and courts, etc.

I had some old guy grab my a$$ in a supermarket when I was 17 and try to take me back to his place. I was upset and pushed him away but I didn't want to file charges or anything like that then either. I'm sympathetic to the girl and understand her decision...

It seems that Japan has a particularly menacing groping problem scientifically termed frotteurism and toucherism. The grope is a pathological behavior carried out by men who have little hope of getting a women and is buttressed by many other forms of anti-social behavior such as marrying video game characters. You'd be hard pressed to find a sexually-satisfied man groping his way through a crowed subway car or exchanging vows with a virtual image. Groping in large crowds is a passive, somewhat childish crime and has co-evolved with Japan's herbivorous culture. Men probably started groping just as men started becoming passive wimps who were afraid of women or who began having women to do the bidding for them. I know how disgusting and shocking groping can be since I've encountered being groped on the train and at the station. But I just pretend like nothing unusual is happening than create a scene. I think it's important to always carry yourself assertively, and avoid negative responses by keeping your voices cool and collected and remember yelling and cursing may escalate a potentially dangerous situation. As soon as you reach the next train station, just get off the train and sprint. Hence thrusting the offending hand in the air and yelling chikan has never been my style.

Groping a girl is a crime. Then why the police didn't arrest this guy?

... and the girl did nothing... she had to wait to be "rescued" by some other passenger? I mean seriously they need to teach girls in Japan how to administer a good firm knee to the groin.

Completely agree with you, and if they did teach girls you stand up for themselves more you can bet these pervs would think twice before trying this kind of thing.

But the fact is, they dont teach girls here to stand up for themselves so give the girl herself a break - shes only 17, he was 46, and she was probably terrified.

“I had a little time left before I had to go home, and I felt a lot more free in Tokyo.” He was later released after the girl declined to press charges.

Compiled from news reports

This is sad and funny. I was on that train. He would have loved my legs and butt

He was later released after the girl declined to press charges.

Now why would she do this? If he groped her, he should be charged. I sense a certain "kerching" sound in the air, and a trip to the Louis Vuitton shop for the poor helpless victim. Let's hope the whole thing wasn't a set-up.

There are other scenarios equally as likely in today's Tokyo.

One that leaps to mind is that the guy paid for the girl to dress up for Cos Play and enact this exciting heart-thumping incident on the train. She played her part and now has her money, and would naturally 'decline' to press charges. The guy who shouted 'chikan' was either part of the play, or just a KY nosy outsider.

There. How was that? ;-)

This is obviously the fault of this man's boss for not giving this man enough work to do.

"I had some free time" ... and decided to molest a high school girl??? Great logic there, douche.

"A man seated nearby shouted “chikan,” (meaning molester or pervert), to draw attention to the accused."

Good job on this man! Many probbaly would have just pretended to be asleep and not taken the initiative.

johninnaha: "There is too little substance in the article to formulate any kind of opinion about the girl, the alleged molester and the guy who shouted "chikan!""

While there are certainly cases where what happened is vague, if anything happened at all, but this one seems pretty clear cut. He even seems to have given police 'I had some free time' as the reason for doing it (at least that how it comes off). Another passenger seems to have clearly seen it taking place, at any rate. As for it not being a crime, it is, but the girl declined to press charges.

There is too little substance in the article to formulate any kind of opinion about the girl, the alleged molester and the guy who shouted "chikan!"

Does the writer just want to badmouth the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry?

“I had a little time left before I had to go home, and I felt a lot more free in Tokyo.”

means... erm, ...he had been under intense pressure with his job, (maintaining the facade, etc) but anonymous in Tokyo he felt free to do whatever he really felt like doing, with no inhibitions.

This is typical of Japanese criminal justice. A man has molested a girl but gets away with it even though there were witnesses.

I assume the girl got paid for her silence and so once again another young girl in Japan equates sex with money.

... and the girl did nothing... she had to wait to be "rescued" by some other passenger? I mean seriously they need to teach girls in Japan how to administer a good firm knee to the groin.

Good job passengers!

He was later released after the girl declined to press charges. Declined to press charges? I doubt it. It is more likely he (also) admitted at police station/box and accepted settle payment. And girl was "convinced" to also settle with this.... A true sad thing (for some reason it makes me think back at それでも、僕はやってない , especially the first 5-10 minutes "What? You again? Just admit it.")

If this is not a crime, why is it in the crime section???

Even more confused. Confused-is-us!

He was caught in full sight of everyone. Isn't that enough to charge him?

Or does the law require the receiver of unwanted attention to complain?

Confused in Japan.