dido comments

Hervé L'EisaToday  08:59 am JST

If he was falsely accused, then the two women should be PROSECUTED for defamation, at least civilly if not criminally. And their names should also be made known.

Japan's sexual violence laws are woefully inadequate, and when combined with the inept judicial process and cultural context, Japanese women stand to gain nothing but justice and dignity from pursuing these cases. The process is incredibly difficult anywhere, but in Japan, it is especially hellish for female claimants. With only 4% of sexual assault cases being reported, let alone prosecuted, the likelihood of a false accusation is infinitesimally small.

As Mr Kipling says, it is most likely that they reached an agreement outside of court, which is common practice in Japan.

JROToday  02:18 pm JST

The main point she is making is if it was a person from a third world country you all would say "immigrant this immigrant that blah blah blah" And for that reason I think it is important to put their nationality. If the person that committed the crime didn't want to look bad to other foreigners and Japanese maybe he shouldn't have done anything bad

Absolutely no one is saying that, we are all foreigners here no matter our color or origin. When they make news about a crime that happens hundreds of times a day only because the villain is a foreigner it hurts us all, no matter how he looks or where he is from. The news do this very often and it has set it's marks. The Japanese around me thinks that foreigners on average do a lot more crime in Japan than Japanese do, while the reality is that a foreigner is less likely to commit a crime then a Japanese based on the stats, but that's not what they see, they see all these cherry picked cases that news likes to highlight.

Yes, that's why there are global ethical standards in news reporting.

Reporting the geographical origin or ethnicity of a crime suspect is not important information in this case and only stokes these xenophobic falshoods that affect all of us in Japan.

Good to see some folks bother to educate themselves about the issues.

girl_in_tokyoToday  08:24 am JST

spidersensesToday 07:27 am JST

*Mainichi Shimbun (2018) reported that in a Cabinet Office of Japan survey, 70% of women in Japan stated they had experienced groping and molestation while using public transportation.*

This number is far more likely to be accurate.

But I don't know a single woman who hasn't been groped, either on the train or on the street, in a bar, or somewhere else.

All the women I know have experienced some form of sexual assault.

Same here. All the women I dated in Japan had been sexually assaulted on a train in Japan at least once some more - one girl while I was with her and another who said it happened every day on the way to work.

spidersensesToday  07:27 am JST

Very dubious results.

How come all previous research shows far higher percentages, ranging from 50 - 70%.

E.g.

Mainichi Shimbun (2018) reported that in a Cabinet Office of Japan survey, 70% of women in Japan stated they had experienced groping and molestation while using public transportation.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180330/p2a/00m/0na/005000c

Yeah, it's lower than I've seen.

46% of women and 20% of men in this one. Maybe the way they word the questions - that can make a big diffrence to results.

Tokyo, Japan | 5 | Transit Crime and Sexual Violence in Cities | Seiji (taylorfrancis.com)

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429290244-5/tokyo-japan-seiji-shibata

AlbertToday  07:53 am JST

This is not only Japan.

This happens every, just it is more often mentioned in domestic news.

The question is not whether it exists in other countries but whether it is as pervasive as it is in Japan.

Given the unofficial statistics, the news reports we do see and the knowledge that underreporting it is higher in Japan due to cultural difference then we can assume that it is potentially a more serious problem and worth doing more about.

timeonJuly 13  07:00 pm JST

This is a difficult trial, as the jury has to decide the borderline between consensual sex after a few drinks (his story) vs sexual assault while being too drunk to consent (her story). This took place 6 years ago, so impossible to prove anything.

True, but since false reports are extremely rare (around 3% I think) and underreporting is extremely common (95% go unreported) what's your bet she's telling the truth?

LegrandeToday  09:48 am JST

Some day, perhaps on my death bed, I'll understand this behavior. What in the world is the charge these guys get out of this?

They can monetize the content by uploading to porn sites.

Correct. Many of the upskirt photographers sell their photos.

There was a BBC documentary about it a few years ago.

GuruMickToday  08:16 am JST

Kids can lie and more importantly an aging brain loses much of its functions that would prevent inappropriate behavior of all types.

Dont rush to judgement people. Especially the "jail him ! jail him " brigade.

Unreal

Why anyone would want to defend a sexual predator like this is highly suspicious and quite deplorable, to say the least.

Chinese people are among the kindest and bravest you will find.

sakurasukiToday  07:29 am JST

Labor shortage with low pay create really serious problem now in Japan. Japan now have unqualified people working in the wrong place.

There is very little regulation for child care in Japan.

There is no official training requirement or background or character checks and there is also no reference system in Japan.

My wife worked at a local supermarket, getting 900 yen per hour. I thought that was slavery, as she is a very hard worker, so I asked her to ask for a raise.

The boss agreed to increase her hourly wage by 50yen.

HawkToday  04:38 pm JST

Surely, his/her point is to reduce risk, not eliminate it completely.

Fair enough. Because that's impossible. Just putting them at higher risk of other dangers, though. Swings and roundabouts.

What 'other dangers' could be worse for girls and young women, though?

HawkToday  12:29 pm JST

dido,

We chose not to raise our daughters in Japan for safety reasons, among other reasons, but if we had, we would not let them travel alone at any time or meet anyone with whom we don't know until they are 18 or so

Did you raise them in a country where there is no stalking, and no domestic or sexual violence? I'd like to know where that is.

No such place.

These problems exist everywhere.

However, apart from the severe gender inequality and limited women's empowerment, Japan, particularly in the major cities, faces serious issues for females, including rampant sexual assault on public transport (chikan), stalking, upskirt photography, workplace sexual harassment, child pornography, and enjoy kōsai (compensated dating) etc.. There is also a weak societal and administrative response to these problems. And despite their prevalence, they are often hidden due to the high stigma and shame associated with being a victim (very low reporting rates) and the known ineffectiveness of the system to protect and support those girls and women affected.

It might be better in the more rural areas but our Japanese family and friends live in central Tokyo

HawkToday  10:07 am JST

This is a reminder to all the fathers in Japan that if your daughter finds herself in a similar position, it is better to take action yourself, rather than rely on police to help. I’d rather spend the rest of my life in jail if it means that my daughter can live her life.

What action would you take?

We chose not to raise our daughters in Japan for safety reasons, among other reasons, but if we had, we would not let them travel alone at any time or meet anyone with whom we don't know until they are 18 or so.

It's also essential to be close enough with them that they feel comfortable talking about their relationships. Any sign of violence in the relationship must end immediately, no questions asked.

As a youth of 19, I was living with my girlfriend of the same age, and we had an argument, and I hit her on the rear end. The next day, her mother came around to pick her daughter up, which ended the relationship.

She was a very good mother to do that.

I once found a piece of metal from a wire brush in my bento from a store in Shinjuku.

They were very eager to meet me and pay me about 30,000 yen compensation but they were adamant that I not go to the press or the government about it.

I could never understand the hype around Zelda games.

I'm bored within the first 10 minutes.

The fact that legal state murder is a thing in a 'developed' nation in 2024 is astounding.

“Hotaru no Hikari” was written in 1881 by Chikai Inagaki and it copies the musical score of “Auld Lang Syne” note for note"

Well, copying note for note is not 'writing' now, is it?

ThonTaddeoToday  08:57 am JST

@Ilyas and Wolfshine -- your understanding of how flawed this survey is, and has always been, is correct. You can read it here:

https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2024.pdf

...and the shamefully-flawed methodology is explained on page 64. I quote:

The third distinguishing feature of the Global Gender Gap Index is that it ranks countries according to their proximity to gender equality rather than to women’s empowerment. Our aim is to focus on whether the gap between women and men in the chosen indicators has declined, rather than whether women are winning the so-called “battle of the sexes”.

Sounds great. But the very next paragraph contradicts that:

Hence, the index rewards countries that reach the point where outcomes for women equal those for men, but it neither rewards nor penalizes cases in which women are outperforming men in particular indicators in some countries. **Thus, a country that has higher enrolment for girls rather than boys in secondary school will score equal to a country where boys’ and girls’ enrolment is the same**. 

The last line tells the whole story: if a gap is in favor of women, there is no penalty, whereas if a gap is in favor of men, the country is penalized. A hypothetical country where boys were banned from going to school, could not vote or hold political office, and died a decade before women did would be a country with disgusting gender gaps... but it would get a perfect score on this survey. The quickest route to a higher score, if you're a dictator looking to move up on this list, is to start oppressing your boys and men, making sure they're never ahead of women in any field, but not paying any attention to areas where women are ahead.

The survey does the exact opposite of what it claims to do: it is a Women's Empowerment Index and not a gender gap index, because it looks only at gaps in one direction. Just call it the Women's Empowerment Index and be done with it. (Or, better yet, measure gaps in both directions so that the numbers will actually be meaningful and the name of the survey won't be so deceptive

Are you equally critical of international reports that show Japan in a more favourable light, or do you only scrutinise and discredit organisations when Japan does not rank highly in their reports?

Are you equally critical of the Nobel organisation, often seen as Western-centric and elitist, when a Japanese person wins a Nobel award?

You can't have it both ways. You can't attack reports that portray Japan favourably and criticise those that don't. That would be hypocritical.

OliveToday  06:46 am JST

The standard of health care in Japan is well above that of Canada or the U.K. these days. 58th-very unlikely

Not for women, it isn't.

Read the report and stop being so defensive.

Geeter MckluskieToday  07:58 pm JST

"However, while individual success stories of women in Japan achieving academic and professional milestones are great and to be commended, they do not negate the pervasive gender disparities in the country."

Looking deeper into those "pervasive gender disparities" one often finds disparities in comparison metrics, such as how many women actually choose a life of politics or as stated in an earlier comment the fact that 1/3 of women choose to be homemakers despite having attained a high level of education.

Japanese women ARE wonderful and deserve to have THEIR choices respected

That there are many men with these attitudes in Japan makes me less hopeful for significant change in Japan.

You are trying to put all Japanese women in the same box – they all have different dreams and skills!

It's also not fair to say that anyone, man or woman, can speak for every woman in the whole country.

There are many reasons why some Japanese women choose to be housewives. Maybe it's what their families expect, or maybe they don't have as many job options as men. This pressure to follow traditional roles can make it harder for women to do what they really want.

Ultimately, every woman, no matter where she's from, should be able to choose her own path in life. People who say all Japanese women want to be housewives might be forgetting that everyone wants to be in charge of their own lives, not just men! For things to be truly fair, these old-fashioned ideas need to change, and everyone should have the same chances to reach for their dreams.

Geeter MckluskieToday  07:26 pm JST

"You might not like these reports but if you live in Japan and have a daughter or wife, you want them to at least take this seriously and participate in improving the situation."

My eldest daughter is on full scholarship at University of Tsukuba. She's already been offered a 6 figure salary at a pharmaceutical company upon graduation. What women should take seriously is their choices in life. Japan has plenty of opportunities for women who go into STEM fields. Those who choose to be homemakers will end up on the low end of the scale of the myopic WEF's surveys that are trotted out once every three months or so, but anyone who has spent any length of time in Japan knows "homemaker" is the Queen Bee in Japan...as it should be as "homemaker" is the most important "job" in society.

Seriously, that is awesome that your daughter has done well in Japan, and I'm sure, as a dad of a daughter myself, you played a big part in her success. Well done to your daughter.

However, while individual success stories of women in Japan achieving academic and professional milestones are great and to be commended, they do not negate the pervasive gender disparities in the country.

Despite high levels of educational attainment, women in Japan still face significant challenges such as the gender pay gap, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and barriers to career advancement. Traditional gender roles and cultural expectations often result in women bearing a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, limiting their ability to participate in the workforce fully.

Addressing these systemic issues requires comprehensive efforts to promote gender equality, challenge cultural norms, and create more inclusive workplaces. While celebrating individual achievements, it's crucial to recognize the broader societal need for change to empower women and achieve true gender equality in Japan.

Japanese women are wonderful, but they deserve much more than what they have right now in Japan.

wolfshineToday  05:10 pm JST

Look, I am absolutely not afraid of giving Japan fair criticism where criticism is due. This country has a lot of problems that it will need to address in the coming years and I certainly don't think we should shy away from calling them out when needed.

However, the World Economic Forum, perhaps once perceived as a reputable institution long ago, has lost its credibility in recent years and has rightfully come under fire for its rather dubious intentions and also the extent of their political influence.

I looked at the report. I immediately noticed that ranked above Japan there are several countries notorious for having serious problems with sexual violence. In theory, analyzing discrepancies related to partcipation in business or politics makes sense, but in practice it ends up being this mess of obviously cherry picked data intended to produce a specific type of outcome.

You cannot convince me Kazakhstan, Romania, Zimbabwe, and Serbia are treating women better than Japan is. Maybe among urban elites they have more political and economic participation rates, but how do you even measure what is going on outside of what those country's governments are willing to show you? I imagine in the rural parts of those countries equality has not advanced very much since their ages of industrialization, if at all.

Reports like this are counter productive and actually do more to cover for gender inequality than anything else. WEF is trash and no one should trust or support them.

Reality bites.

Kazakhstan, Romania, etc. and Japan are ranked similarly in global gender equality reports due to comparable poor female economic participation, political representation, and traditional gender roles that limit women's opportunities.

You might not like these reports but if you live in Japan and have a daughter or wife, you want them to at least take this seriously and participate in improving the situation.