Despite the fact Japan has a relatively low crime rate, the
nation's women have long faced the problem of sexual harassment
and groping in crowded peak hour trains.
Around the year 2000, Japan introduced women-only carriages on
trains, and while it has never been illegal for men to ride in
these cars, they are simply asked not to use them during peak
hours.
The system relies on the good will of passengers to do the right
thing, so that female passengers can be safe from groping –
known as 'chikan' – on their journeys to and
from works.
Many railway lines have also installed CCTV cameras and reports
suggest that as a result of this security measure, the number of
incidences
sexual touching have decreased, but certainly have not
completely disappeared.
