KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2019 - 21:05 | All, Japan

A stamp designed to help deter inappropriate behavior such as groping on trains and stalking will go on sale this week, a Japanese stationery manufacturer said Monday.

According to Shachihata Inc., a Nagoya-based company known for manufacturing personal seals and stamp pads, the product will use a colorless, transparent ink that only becomes visible under ultraviolet light. It will come with a blacklight that can be used to shine on a stamped object to illuminate the seal mark, which is the figure of an open palm, the company said.

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The product is hoped to aid in the identification of perpetrators of indecent acts if stamped onto their hands or belongings.

The stationery company began production of the stamp after a heated discussion on social media about ways to repel train gropers, stating on Twitter in May, "We will do our best to address it as soon as possible. This is not a joke, we are serious."

The retail price for a set including a strap will be 2,700 yen ($25.50), with 500 sets expected to go on sale on Shachihata's official online shop from 1 p.m. Tuesday.

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The company has plans to improve the product based on user feedback, although no specific date has been set for when a revised product will go on sale.

"We hope it will be of some help in encouraging society to keep an eye on troublesome behavior and addressing the issue," the company's public relations official said.