Japanese schoolgirls and their short skirts blamed for chikan groping

If you’re a young woman in Japan, especially in a big city like Tokyo, and you ride the train regularly, the chances are you have encountered the problem of chikan, or groping. Schoolgirls are frequent targets, probably because of their obvious sexual appeal to certain men but also because their youth means they are more likely to be too scared to do anything when groped in public.

Train carriages carry plenty of warnings about chikan, usually in the form of stickers or posters, ostensibly aimed at the perpetrators and witnesses. But what about publicity for victims or potential victims?

It seems that these exist but their message might not always be what you expect.

As reported elsewhere, one example recently went viral in Japan because it criticizes schoolgirls in Japan as causing or exasperating chikan.

The poster message reads: “The short skirt that you think is kawaii leads to sex crimes. And it’s not just you, but your friends and companions too.”

Incredibly, the poster was apparently made by Kanko, the largest school uniform manufacturer in Japan and put on display at several schools around the country (presumably with approval by the schools and education boards) until the controversy broke. The posters were recalled on January 15th and the company issued an apology.

This is not a new attitude per se — it’s merely a version of the “she was asking for it” criticism leveled at rape and sexual assault victims who happen to be attractive or dressed in a certain way — and, rather worryingly, even this poster originally dates back to 2012 and a crime prevention campaign at schools led by police.

Many have expressed shock at the victim-blaming approach of the poster, while others have noted that its efforts to encourage schoolgirls to reduce their potential to become a target as realistic.