Talk:GRSJ224/Sexual Harassment on Japanese Subways

Hi! I enjoyed reading your article and I found it really informative on such an important issue. I was shocked at the the number of victims affected annually and while they introduced the women-only passenger cars, do you think that that is enough to combat the issue? While it does provide a sense of security for women and a reduction of false accusations against men, does it do enough to deter gropers and molesters? I liked your addition of the sexualization of women through various sources as well as displaying the shameless nature that men are able to indulge in that while in public. Do you think that something can be done to prevent this? While something like reading does not warrant a bannable offence, the concept or idea of rape is definitely unsettling.

"Men thinking that they are dominant, and women are supposed to be submissive"can be explained by Confucianism when it was brought to Japan in 17th Century. Even though many families do not value patriarchal practices anymore, I agree with your that it has rooted deeply in Japanese society. It is evident that many Japanese women nowadays still stay at home and taking care of their kids, while their husbands are working. Confucianism still practices in sense that men are the head of a family, so they are supposed to protect and make money. Instead, women are supposed to stay home and raise kids. However, I believe the situation has changed, due to the aging problems and shortage in the work force. Hence, many women are out and working as well.

Despite these, gender equality in Japan is really worth mentioning. I love your point on how it is disturbing seeing that high school girls are considered sexy by many Japanese men. I think the reason why many pornography promote this, is because of Japan's low fertility rate as well as the overwhelming stress that Japanese people face in society. I remember when I was in Harajuku, a large entertainment district in Japan, I came across this really young girl who was wearing sexy clothes, playing guitar and singing. Around her was 5 - 6 men wearing suits of age 30 to 50, videoing her with their phones. Now, when reading your page about sexual harassment in Japan, I somehow found it disturbing, since the girl was obviously really young looking, probably 17-18 years old.

Though we acknowledge this, it is still hard for Japan to change, since I believe many female do not aware that they are discriminated. Since they have been taught that women are supposed to stay home and taking care of kids, while men go out and work for many generations; many young female don't think that there is a problem with this.

I thought your page was very nicely laid out and formatted. Nice job! Upon reading “Sexual Harassment on Japanese Subways” I was shocked to find out about chickan how commonly it occurs on Japanese subways. It is very sad how women stay silent about this issue and don't’ speak up about this topic. However, it is understandable why, as this problem has existed for a very long time and not a lot has been done to create a change. Moreover, I think instead of creating “women-only” passenger cars they should hold men who commit chickan accountable for their actions as this sets the precedent that groping women is okay and that women should go out of their ways and ride a different subway. This is what sets the tone that women are inferior to men. I also agree with Akiyoshi Saito as there needs to be a shift in cultural attitude and a change in how Japanese men view sexual assault rather than a change in subways.

You're topic was very interesting and well-laid out. This is an issue that I was unaware of and I did not expect it to be occurring at such a high rate in a country that is known for it's polite citizens and emphasis on respect. I think your inclusion of the rampant sexualization of women through media was important and provided necessary context. As a suggestion, it would be interesting if you instances in which court cases have been carried out about these assaults and their potential outcomes. Great work!

Hi! I am enjoying how you are laying out your wiki page. The headings and subheadings provide a very coherent argument about the topic surrounding sexual harassment on Japanese subways. When I went to Japan last year, I noticed the existence of women-only cars, but I believe they are only implicated during rush hours. I know it is already a great step in ensuring women's protection, especially during rush hours, but I hope you will also elaborate on incidents that happen outside those rush hours when men will be allowed in those cars. Sexual assault can really happen at any given moment, and it will be great if you can provide information on whether the cases of sexual assault on Japanese subways decreased a lot after the introduction of those cars. It is always great to find out that a tactic in ending sexual assault actually shows valid results.