[Hawkeye]

A current epidemic here, train gropings have been on the rise for a while. Random men (and women) touching and feelin up others on a crouded train. Prior to this I had no knowledge of such things, other then the naive understanding that most japanese guys were perverted leches (which they usually aren't, lol).

So here I was standing against one of the couple of support poles when I feel a hand (I hope it was a hand) run by my butt. All the hairs on my neck stood on end and I yelped a bit, but I shrugged it off as an accident caused by the packed train. My friends were in the other car trying to get pictures of the country side. It was a couple more minutes before I felt the hand again this time farther up my backside. I shrugged it off again. I started to move with the flow of the train toward another part of the car, this time in a corner with a window. It was a few more minutes before I felt the hand again, this time on the bottom of my right breast. The hand closed and I gasped, Instinctively I brought my elbow back and shoved as hard as I could. I felt something connect and the immediate sensation of my funny bone tingling.

Well, needles to say I definitely got the guy, I hope it was a guy (they left a trail of blood, presumedly from a nose) and that was the last I felt any gropage. I didn't know wether to feel angry or flattered, so I expressed both. If he wanted to cop a feel of me so bad he should of just asked. Would I have let him if he did? Who knows, I was in one of those moods. I'M PART OF JAPANESE POP CULTURE FOLKLORE NOW!

This isn't just a Folklore, this is a damn problem that the Japanese seem to ignore, Did you know there rumours of Underground magazines and websites dedicated to groping women in trains, where the perpetrators discuss their favorite pastime and share experiences. It is sick and I'm not surpised that there been a sudden imgration hike of preverts from all over the world to Japan.... They really need to bring this into the Spot light, Good on you Kiai.... next time uses some Checmical warfare, carry some Mace and stare whoever it was in the face with you Marine Warface.... Scare the fucking Shit out of them!!!!!

Jesus, so many things have happened to me over just the last year. What will 2007 bring?

It didn't necessarily feel good to hit the guy (if it was in fact a man), it was just what I've been trained to do. What with one of the japanese protestors breaking my arm with a baseball bat earlier this year I think you might be able to understand. The other people on the train didn't even flinch, which makes me believe if he went further they probably would have just left the car and me with the touchy feely.

It depends on the area, I don't know if the local train companies in your area have them. But because of the problem, some Company has started a Female only carrige, Which the British Railway companies haven't had since the 1920's.....

Did you know that.....

According to one survey, about two thirds of Japanese women between 20-40 years old have been groped on trains or at stations. Young teenagers (schoolgirls) are also often subject to groping.

Japanese women are less likely to openly react to such abuse than their Western counterparts, probably because of cultural differences. In the most extreme cases, when a victim is repeatedly harassed in such way, police protection can be assigned to her.

a whole Wikipeida artical to the damn subject....