More than half of women and 15% of men in Tokyo have experienced groping

In Tokyo, we always see signage warning to be on the lookout for chikan (train groping) at stations and inside carriages. The government and police frequently issue awareness and prevention campaigns. We see videos on social media of passengers detaining a perpetrator or of suspects fleeing dangerously across the rails between platforms. And of course, there’s no missing the presence of women-only carriages on most lines during rush hour periods.

But how common actually is chikan groping in Japan?

According to one new survey, it’s very common: more than half of women in Tokyo have experienced groping while riding or waiting for trains at platforms.

The survey was conducted by Tokyo Metropolitan Government with 6,315 people aged 16 to 69 in 2024.

But what might surprise readers — it certainly surprised us — is that 15.2% of men also said that they have been groped.

Apparently, the most effective strategy is third-party intervention. A victim is often unable to do much due to their age, physical position, and feeling of vulnerability. But a nearby passenger noticing what is happening and intervening to stop the groping is, according to the survey findings, the best way to stop the assault. Sometimes it is just a matter of calling out to the victim to ask if they are OK.

Victims are usually distracted by staring at their phone screen or listening to music, and may feel unable to call out once the assault begins, especially if they are very young.

Of course, there are always issues with these surveys, including question marks about the methodology, and reporting about chikan is often sensational and part of the “wacky Japan” narrative, but there’s no doubting the need to protect people.

“It is important that people around (victims) do not turn a blind eye,” said a Tokyo metropolitan government official quoted in a report by the Asahi newspaper.