More than 50 percent of women in Tokyo have fallen victim to “chikan” groping while riding on or waiting for trains, usually without any consequences for the perpetrator, a survey shows.
In its continuing efforts to gauge the extent of the problem, the Tokyo metropolitan government carried out a survey involving thousands of commuters in 2024.
It emerged that 56.3 percent of women and 15.2 percent of men had been groped on trains or in stations.
The survey found that third party intervention–for example, by another passenger–proved effective in stopping the groping.
“It is important that people around (victims) do not turn a blind eye,” said a Tokyo metropolitan government official.
In 2023, the government organized a large-scale online questionnaire survey on the topic in response to attacks on trains and in stations.
The latest survey, a follow-up, analyzed responses from 6,315 people, aged 16 to 69, who either lived in Tokyo or commuted to work or school in the capital.
It found that 18.2 percent of women and 7.9 percent of men had fallen victim to groping on trains and in stations during the past year.
Most cases, 65.2 percent, occurred between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., which covers the peak weekday commute period.
When asked what happened, the most common response at 59.5 percent was, “I was looking at a smartphone screen.” This was followed at 23.6 percent to, “I was listening to music.”
The survey found that 39.1 percent of those who were victimized answered that they either “put up with it” or “could do nothing.”
This answer was especially common among those aged 16 to 24.
On the other hand, 72.6 percent said that the perpetrator “stopped” what they were doing on the train when the victim moved away or blocked the groper with their belongings.
In only 10.5 percent of all cases did the activity stop because of intervention from a third party, such as a person around them.
Nevertheless, in cases where a third party acted, such as calling out to the victim, 96.8 percent said that the groping stopped.
Last September, the Tokyo government set up a website titled “Project to eliminate groping.”
The website offers a simulation of what to do in such cases or if witnessing an act of groping, as well as a quiz aimed at offering useful tips on ways to prevent groping.
For more information on the website:
（https://www.chikanbokumetsu.metro.tokyo.lg.jp）
AloJapan.com