"Many Chikan Present...If You Want to Avoid Them, Use the Rear Cars": Bizarre Announcement on Japanese Subway Sparks Controversy

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy, reporter Hwang Sumi] An announcement at a train station in Tokyo, Japan, advising passengers to "use the rear cars to avoid chikan (sexual offenders)," has sparked controversy.

According to the Asahi Shimbun and other Japanese media on September 8 (local time), on August 30, a station staff member at the JR Saikyo Line platform in Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, repeatedly announced, "There are many chikan in the front cars of the train, so if you don't want to be victimized, please make sure to use the rear cars." The staff member also added, "Although there are many security cameras installed in the station, there are still many chikan."

Most passengers reportedly looked bewildered. The newspaper also reported that some passengers moved to the rear cars of the train.

This announcement spread through social networking services (SNS) and became a subject of controversy. Critics pointed out that the railway company was not taking active measures to prevent chikan, but rather telling passengers to "avoid them on your own." Additionally, the use of honorific language when referring to chikan was also criticized.

As the controversy grew, the station staff explained, "My intention was to encourage more use of the less crowded rear cars because the front cars were too crowded." The railway company also apologized, stating, "Our intention was to distribute passengers evenly across all cars during busy hours, but there was inappropriate wording in the announcement."

Meanwhile, incidents of chikan continue to be uncovered on Japanese subways. Such crimes are known to occur most frequently during rush hours when trains are crowded. In 2017, at Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo, a man who was molesting a woman fled onto the tracks to escape the police. As a result, train operations were suspended at the time, stranding more than 32,000 commuters.

Also, in 2017, four Japanese men who were caught committing group sexual harassment on a rush-hour subway were brought back into the spotlight last year on domestic online communities. These men did not know each other beforehand; it was reported that they met after reading a "chikan experience post" on an online community, which encouraged them to commit the crime together. The post reportedly included content suggesting that "it is easy to commit sexual harassment on the Saikyo Line." It also contained information on how to exchange details using various slang and codes.