Majority of Japanese women in poll support idea of men-only train cars
Concept receives stronger support from female commuters in the Tokyo area than masculines, with those in favor providing two primary reasons.
Japanese trains are internationally famous for three things: being amazingly punctual, startlingly crowded, and distressingly the place where chikan, fellows who grope other passengers, operate. The 2nd and third characteristics are related, since chikan often take advantage of the packed conditions to make it tighter for victims to identify or confront them.
In an effort to alleviate the problem, some rail operators in major cities designate certain train cars as being for female passengers only during the morning and evening rush hours. But a latest survey by Japanese research organization Macromill determined to turn things around and ask commuters how they’d feel about male-only train cars.
Macromill polled a total of five hundred train commuters living in Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama, home to many people who rail into the city for work or school each day. Respondents’ ages ranged from fifteen to 59, and two hundred forty two were women.
When asked whether trains should introduce cars for fellows only, the majority of the women polled, 73.9 percent, voiced support for such a stir.
Should men-only train cars be introduced?
● Absolutely yes: 13.6 percent of female respondents
● Absolutely not: 0.Four percent
However, while toughly the same proportion of guys were strongly in favor of all-male cars, overall the concept was less popular with masculine respondents, however 65.1 percent still said they agreed with the idea.
Should men-only train cars be introduced?
● Absolutely yes: 14.Trio percent of masculine respondents
● Absolutely not: Four.Three percent
The rationale of those who are in favor of all-male cars fell into two general categories: chikan and equality. Regarding the former, women said they felt that all-male cars would decrease the likelihood of groping. Meantime, studs who like the idea of having a car just for the guys said they would benefit by eliminating the chance that a woman would mistakenly interpret inadvertent physical contact in a crowded train as them purposely copping a feel. As for equality, there were both masculine and female respondents who simply felt it’s unfair for there to be women-only cars, but not men-only ones.
It’s worth pointing out however, that women-only cars in Japan are voluntary. Women can choose inbetween using them or the mixed-gender cars, and ostensibly the same would apply for boys if male-only cars were introduced. As such, it seems unlikely that studs being able to sequester themselves with other masculine commuters would do much to cut down on male-on-female train groping, since chikan would be the studs least interested in exercising their option to distance themselves from women on the train.
That leaves “not being mistaken for a chikan” as the primary upside of male-only cars, and while the potential for such a misunderstanding is something certain commuters worry about, it isn’t something Japanese society, as a entire, is significantly worried with, and this is likely why train cars just for dudes have yet to be introduced in Japan.