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Japanese Police Increase Anti-Molestation Patrols Ahead of Exam Day
Tokyo Police say they’re taking action as social media users continue to brag about committing crimes as female students rush to exams.
It’s time this weekend for college entry exams in Japan. Every year around this time, a slew of social media postings tout how it’s the best time of year to molest female students on trains. To counteract the horrible trend, Tokyo police say they’re upping patrols and giving students who report the crime more flexibility.
Molestation (痴漢; chikan) remains a prevalent crime in Japan, particularly on crowded trains. Estimates by private groups say that over 80% of attacks may go unreported to police.
The threat rises around the time that students take Japan’s Common Test for University Admissions. Online commenters brag that exam time means it’s 痴漢祭 (chikan matsuri), “Molestation Festival” season, or 痴漢日和 (chikan biyori), “good conditions for molesting.” The thinking is that exam takers who don’t want to be late for their exams will be even less likely to make a police report.
To counter this, Tokyo Police say they’ll strengthen patrols over the weekend to protect female students. Officers have also been instructed to allow students to leave to finish their exams, conducting a lengthier investigation once the exam is over.
