"Shoulder Bumping" Emerges as a Social Issue in Japan
Similar Incidents Reported Worldwide
In Japan, the so-called "shoulder bumping," where certain individuals deliberately and forcefully bump into female pedestrians, has emerged as a serious social problem. Recently, foreign media have reported that this behavior is spreading worldwide.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on May 17 (local time), British influencer Ayla Melek recently fell to the ground after a collision with a large man while walking with a friend along the Mile End canal path in East London. Melek told BBC London, "There was plenty of space to pass, but the man intentionally rammed into me," adding, "I don't think it's possible for someone to push past that forcefully by accident."
A British influencer is complaining about the "Bumping gang," so-called "shoulder bump" harassment. Ayla Melek TikTok
She said, "Right after the collision, I almost fell into the water, but fortunately I landed on the grass instead," and added, "It was a huge relief that there was nothing dangerous like glass or metal nearby at the time." Afterward, Melek shared her experience through a TikTok video, which quickly went viral and prompted a flood of similar stories. Internet users recounted their own experiences, saying they had encountered similar incidents in broad daylight on the street or on public transportation.
The "shoulder bumping" issue first became a social topic in Japan. In Japan, such perpetrators are called "Butsukari men" (ぶつかり男), which means "men who bump into others." According to SCMP, these are men who, after failing to form relationships and experiencing social frustration, vent their anger by intentionally bumping into unfamiliar women in crowded places such as stations or busy districts.
The issue of "shoulder bumping" has emerged as a social problem in Japan. The photo is a reference image to aid understanding of the article and is unrelated to the main text. Yahoo Japan
The catalyst for "shoulder bumping" becoming a social issue in Japan was a video that spread on social networking services (SNS) in May 2018. In the video, a man intentionally collided shoulders with at least four women in just 30 seconds before disappearing. Afterward, similar incidents occurred in succession, leaving Japanese society in shock.
On domestic online communities, it is easy to find related stories such as, "I get shoulder bumped every time I travel to Japan," "It happened to me three or four times just in Tokyo," "Is shoulder bumping common in Japan?" and "A man in Osaka deliberately bumped into me and walked away."
As "shoulder bumping" has grown into a social problem, some Japanese railway companies have classified it as a "nuisance act" and are responding by increasing station staff and security personnel. Japanese experts warn that if the problem is left unaddressed, it could escalate into gender-based hate crimes, and they unanimously call for institutional responses.
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