Tokyo
CNN
 — 

One in 10 younger individuals in Japan – the overwhelming majority ladies – have been groped on trains and in different public locations, a authorities survey has discovered, highlighting an usually unreported crime that has lengthy plagued the nation regardless of official efforts to struggle it.

“Chikan” — touching or groping with out consent in public locations, usually on crowded trains — is a widespread downside in Japan, the place in depth rail networks transport thousands and thousands of passengers every day, usually in packed carriages throughout hectic rush hours.

In a nationwide ballot of greater than 36,000 individuals aged 16 to 29 by the Cupboard Workplace in February, 10.5% of respondents stated that they had been groped or skilled different indecent acts in public.

Ladies accounted for practically 90% of those that stated they had been assaulted, in line with the survey launched this month. About two-thirds of these respondents stated the offense passed off aboard a prepare, with the same quantity saying it occurred throughout the morning or night rush hour.

A lot of these respondents additionally stated that they had been groped on a number of events, with one individual saying they had been assaulted “nearly every day” whereas nonetheless in highschool.

“For some purpose, I cry extra now once I bear in mind it than when it occurred,” they instructed the survey.

Efforts to deal with chikan picked up on the flip of the century, when main cities like Tokyo started rolling out women-only carriages on trains.

In recent times, extra surveillance cameras have been put in on trains and in stations and transit police – each in uniform and plain garments – have stepped up patrols.

Wider efforts to fight the crime embrace the sale of “anti-groping” stamps to mark assailants with invisible ink, and cell apps that map groping incidents.

In the meantime, posters at stations purpose to lift consciousness of groping and urge individuals to report the crime.

However some survey respondents urged authorities to do extra.

“I would love the federal government to create a society that forestalls crime, to supply psychological well being take care of victims by professionals, and to hold out public relations actions to lift public consciousness in order that victims aren’t taken calmly,” one respondent wrote.

Japan arrested practically 2,000 individuals nationwide on suspicion of chikan in 2023, in line with police statistics.

However many offenses go unreported: 80% of survey respondents who stated they had been groped didn’t report the crimes to police or different officers – with many saying they didn’t register the gravity of what occurred to them or didn’t suppose it was value alerting the authorities.

“We have to proceed to coach folks that molestation is a critical crime,” a Japanese authorities spokesperson instructed CNN, including that public groping ought to at all times be reported.

“Please don’t worry alone, however seek the advice of with us,” the spokesperson stated.