Japan Runs Female-Only Grope Free Trains

ByABC News
December 5, 2000, 4:25 PM

T O K Y O, Dec. 5 -- A Japanese rail company will run specialfemale-only carriages on its trains over this years holidayseason in an effort to protect women from drunken gropers.

A spokesman for Keio Electric Railway Co, which operatestrains from central Tokyo to the citys crowded westernsuburbs, said the company had decided to place a women-onlycarriage on several late-night trains starting later this week.

There have been problems with women being groped on thetrains, and we felt this was a problem that should be dealtwith, the spokesman said.

Groping is a serious problem for female passengers onTokyos packed subways and commuter trains.

The Keio spokesman said the company received 351 complaintsabout groping in the fiscal year that ended March 31, but thereal figures are likely much higher as the vast majority ofcases go unreported.

December is a month filled with Forget-the-Year parties,the Japanese equivalent of Christmas parties, and late-nighttrains are crammed with drunk and boisterous male passengers,increasing the potential for trouble.