High school girls hand out fliers and tissues at Ikebukuro station to raise awareness of groping on trains.

Tokyo police launch weeklong anti-groping campaign on trains

Tuesday 15th September, 10:12 AM JST

TOKYO —

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department launched an anti-groping campaign on Monday, with some 200 people including high school girls handing out fliers and tissues at Ikebukuro station and plain-clothed officers being posted aboard trains on lines which run through Tokyo.

Police said that plain-clothed male and female officers trained in anti-pickpocketing and other crime-prevention measures would patrol carriages from Monday to Friday this week.

Police also said they would beef up their uniformed presence at major stations on the following nine lines: the Saikyo line (which had the most reported incidents of groping last year, accounting for 11% in total); the Yamanote line; the Chuo line; the Keihin Tohoku line; the Sobu line; the Keio line; the Odakyu line; the Keio Inokashira line; and the Tozai subway line.

According to police statistics, there were roughly 1,600 reported incidents of groping in Tokyo last year. Nearly half occurred between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., during the morning rush. Over 70% of incidents took place on trains, with another 10% taking place on platforms or within stations. Nearly 50% of victims were in their 20s, and around 35% were teenagers.

Police said the number of incidents is increasing, and there have already been nearly 1,000 reported cases of groping or photos being taken up skirts in the first half of this year.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 89 Total Comments Show All

sakurasuki at 08:54 AM JST - 16th September

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department launched an anti-groping campaign on Monday, with some 200 people including high school girls handing out fliers and tissues at Ikebukuro station

What is that supposed to mean?? If someone make a campaign to stop smoking, that's supposed to make people who get the flier to stop smoking.

These high school student they handing tissue so people stop grope them? "please don not grope us!". If I would find them in the station I wouldn't take their tissue, since I'm pretty sure I'm not a groper.
BobbieWickham at 08:58 AM JST - 16th September

They look lovely.
sonnycorinthos at 11:32 AM JST - 16th September

Although I think this is a very serious problem, as a foreigner such a campaign puts me off riding the train during this week, as likely the police would assume its the bad foreigner who is the groper, so might be better to face the traffic jams and drive to avoid an unfair night in the cells. Either that or visibly cross your hands over your chest and make sure to move completely away from any girl as much as possible. That film about the false groping accusation still haunts me. But like I said its still a terrible crime, its just those stopping it (the police) can't be trusted to treat gaijin fairly and not assume it was our evil hands..
bgaudry at 02:29 PM JST - 16th September

School girls handing out tissues to pervs. Gotta love Japan!
LoveUSA at 02:36 PM JST - 16th September

As a woman, I know that just one dirty look of a dirty man makes me feel sick, to speak not of groping. Perverts, stalkers and criminals gropers should be put in prison.
PitoPuccho at 08:17 PM JST - 16th September

Another ever growing problem that is going to be hard to prevent. It's good to see the government trying to tackle this although I don't think they will be very successfull.
sansamp at 09:35 PM JST - 16th September

Got groped twice (i'm a guy): once by an old lady simply hugging me, another time by a younger OL-type who played with my oshiri as if it was a stressball. In both cases, didn't say anything as it seemed to provide more relief to the other person than it was causing me discomfort. Maybe i'm an altruist.
Memorex at 12:49 AM JST - 17th September

Good to see the simpletons here leaving intelligent comments about a complicated situation. There is nothing normal about people being jammed together like they are on the trains in Tokyo during the commuter rush hour, so there is nothing normal about the behaviour of men on these trains. There is hardly enough room on a crowded train to scratch your nose let alone thump some guy who is grabbing your tucas. Come on guys, think before you open your mouths and say something typically American.
HonestDictator at 08:48 AM JST - 17th September

Oh something American that most americans remember that the Japanese gropers need to learn, "Keep you hands to yourself"? That typical enough for ya?
lostrune2 at 04:44 PM JST - 17th September

J-girls like getting dirty looks, the better from hot guys.
elbudamexicano at 06:35 PM JST - 17th September

Mexico has separated the sexes for years! Mexico City has a very nice, quiet and clean subway and in the moring and evening rush hours, men take 1 train, women take another, boys up to age 8 can travel with their mother or other female adult parent or guardian. Will Japan ever do this? I doubt it, too many hentais here!
PitoPuccho at 11:10 PM JST - 17th September

Will Japan ever do this? I doubt it, too many hentais here!

I'm certain on some Metro Lines they have designated carriages at rush hours? On the platform there is pink writing for Ladies of course and blue for men indicating what carriage to use. I remember this as my first week in Japan getting on the Ginza line at Asakusa in the morning rush hour, and being in a large queue full of Business women staring at me, I looked down and I was "standing in the pink". Baka!
helloklitty at 07:25 AM JST - 20th September

I hate this idea of separating men and women. Why can't the gropers get satisfied with just their eyes?

The best time of my life was getting groped. I had been in Busan at a temple in a mountain. I had missed the last bus and a high school tour group noticed my predicament. It was a long way to the town and already quite dark so they invited me onto their bus. Imagine my surprise when I got on an overcrowded bus of schoolgirls. The road was very curvy ... (to be continued)
sharky1 at 06:49 AM JST - 22nd September

So they handcuffed all the cops so they couldn't grope???
PepinGalarga at 09:55 AM JST - 22nd September

this is very funny, dont even need to bother the article just keep the policemen at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!