Japan is very proud of its trains, and in many ways rightfully so. The country has one of the cleanest, most reliable, and most convenient rail networks to be found anywhere on the planet.

But it isn’t perfect, and the undeniably worst part of train travel in Japan is the possibility of encountering a chikan, or groper, onboard. Rail operators have tried various countermeasures to attempt to prevent gropings, but the actions of one East Japan Railway Co (JR East) worker have been drawing criticism after a video taken at Shinjuku Station in downtown Tokyo on Aug 30 recently went viral.

The video shows a station worker on the platform of the Saikyo Line, which connects Tokyo with Saitama Prefecture, its neighbor to the north. Standing outside a northbound train that’s about to depart, the worker, holding a handheld microphone and speaking through the PA system, says:

“We have many security cameras installed, but there are many chikan. Passengers who do not want to be groped, please make use of the rear carriages.” ...continue reading