KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2020 - 22:09 | All, Japan

East Japan Railway Co. will soon begin trials of an anti-groping smartphone app it has developed, enabling users to notify train conductors of instances of molestation so announcements can be made to warn passengers.

The app will be tested on the crowded JR Saikyo Line between Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays beginning in late February, according to the railway operator, commonly known as JR East.

"We have implemented a number of countermeasures (against molestation) such as installing more security cameras, but unfortunately they have not led to a decrease in the crime," said JR East President Yuji Fukasawa on Tuesday. "This is our next step."

The app, which can also sound an alarm, will be available on Apple iPhones. To discourage false reporting, users will be required to register their personal information with the company.

The service will utilize footage from onboard security cameras alongside a smartphone's global positioning system to exactly identify the carriage in which groping is taking place.

If the app is used, the conductor will receive a notification on a tablet computer and make an announcement stating that a passenger has reported groping in a particular carriage, in order to deter the perpetrator.

(Supplied screenshot shows a smartphone displaying the anti-groping app.)

[Photo courtesy of East Japan Railway Co.]

The railway company, which describes molestation as "a social challenge," is planning to conduct passenger surveys before making the app officially available.

It will also study how to ensure effective communication between train conductors and station staff in reporting such cases to the police.

A 2010 survey conducted by the National Police Agency showed that 80.9 percent of women who had fallen victim to groping on trains said they endured it without saying anything or just fled the scene. Many said they were "too frightened to do anything."

Related coverage:

Ex-TV reporter appeals against ruling in Japan #MeToo case

Department store planning redesign of taboo-busting "period badges"

Japanese tourist arrested in Australia over child porn possession