'Be careful of gropers': Women, young girls face daily trauma of sexual assault on Tokyo trains - ABC NewsSkip to main contentMoreSearchLog inYour ABC AccountPersonalise the news andstay in the knowLog in to personaliseABCABC iViewABC ListenTriple JABC KidsABC News'Be careful of gropers': Women, young girls face daily trauma of sexual assault on Tokyo trainsShare 'Be careful of gropers': Women, young girls face daily trauma of sexual assault on Tokyo trainsBy Tokyo correspondent Rachel MealeyTopic:Sexual OffencesFri 6 Jan 2017Friday 6 January 2017Fri 6 Jan 2017 at 8:08pmWomen-only passenger carriages were introduced to combat the problem. (Reuters: Yuriko Nakao)abc.net.au/news/women-subjected-to-daily-trauma-on-tokyo-subway-gropers/8166672Link copiedShareShare articleJapan is known around the world for its vast network of modern, efficient and clean trains.But train travel in some of the world's most crowded cities holds a sinister threat for women and girls who ride the rails — the risk of groping.It has been a longstanding problem, but it is not commonly talked about in Japan and continues to be an under-reported problem.Fumie is now a 17-year-old high school student, who travels to her school in west Tokyo by train every day.Two years ago, she said she was groped by a man during her morning commute."It became very crowded as more and more people got on the train and one man was standing right in front of me. He came very close and he touched me," she said.Fumie had never been warned by her parents or teachers about the risk of being groped and did not know what to do."Rather than asking for help, I felt very anxious and I was thinking 'why me?' and I tried to keep him away by putting my arm in front of my body," she said.A typical subway poster reads: "what happened?" "it's a...groper!" "Are you okay?" Man: "It's a crime" Woman: "It's unforgivable". (Supplied: j-town gotochi column)Fumie did not tell her teachers or friends about the attack when she arrived at school.Japanese girls believe that they are somehow boasting about their own looks if they tell someone they have been groped."I didn't say it because I didn't want people to think it happened to me — I'm not very attractive and I'm not confident about myself," she said.For this reason, the crime often goes under-reported. But even when a complaint is made, the threat of a wrongful accusation often leads police to talk young women out of taking the charge any further.Police run anti-groping campaigns once or twice a year. (Reuters: Thomas Peter)'It's her fault'Loading Twitter contentHiroko Goto is an academic specialising in gender politics.She said women were treated as second-class citizens in Japan and not enough was done to deter gropers and protect female commuters."I think in Japanese society it's considered that women should keep quiet and shouldn't talk about what's happened," Professor Goto said."If a woman is groped, people say it's her fault so the woman doesn't speak about it. I think that's what's happening."Yayoi Matsunaga was appalled to hear that a friend's 12-year-old daughter was groped on her way to school. "She was groped by different people every day even though she changed her location [on the train]. She is a petite girl who has long hair and looks very quiet — she was targeted," she said.Ms Matsunaga has become an activist in the field and has made badges for schoolgirls to wear on their bags warning gropers to stay away and that any crime they commit will be reported. "I will not let the matter rest," the badge reads."Mothers tell little children not to follow strangers, but parents don't teach high school students who take trains by themselves during rush hour that they could be groped. This is very strange," Ms Matsunaga said.Police in Tokyo and the other major cities in Japan run awareness campaigns about groping once or twice a year. They put up flags and posters at the train stations.The slogans read: "Be careful of gropers."But nothing is done to prevent the offenders — who often catch the same train every day — from committing the crimes.Posted Fri 6 Jan 2017 at 8:08pmFriday 6 Jan 2017 at 8:08pmFri 6 Jan 2017 at 8:08pm, updated Sat 7 Jan 2017 at 2:43amSaturday 7 Jan 2017 at 2:43amSat 7 Jan 2017 at 2:43amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top Stories'Giant in his field': Legendary film critic David Stratton dead at 85Topic:Arts, Culture and EntertainmentPhoto shows An older man in a checked shirt and vest sits on a bench outside an old Australian cinema.Uni staff told to 'wash delicates' for stress management as 146 courses suspendedTopic:UniversitiesPhoto shows A close up a UTS logo on a large building's windowsPro-AUKUS congress members say Albanese must secure Trump sit-downTopic:Government and PoliticsPhoto shows Trump spruiks 'very friendly' call with Zelenskyy ahead of meeting with PutinChalmers defends 'genuine' productivity talks after possible outcomes leakedTopic:EconomyPhoto shows Jim Chalmers walks down a corridor. 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Two years ago, she said she was groped by a man during her morning commute., "Chikan" is a Japanese term describing sexual assault in public, especially groping on public transport. It also describes the offenders themselves..