In Japan, Groping is Out of Hand

groper cell phone, originally uploaded by acidgurl.

Who Knew Groping Was So Popular?
If you have ever seen or heard about any of the weird kinky shit that is popular in Japan, this really shouldn't surprise you.

Groping is a serious issue in major Japanese cities. Crowded public areas are prime hunting grounds for gropers.

According to Tokyo Metropolitan Police, 1,853 people were arrested for groping passengers on trains in Tokyo in 2005. Experts say harassment may be more widespread, but women are often too embarrassed to report it.

Japan is the land of technology among other things, and if you have ever been there, you will know that the use of cell phones and text messaging is fully integrated into the culture, in a way that makes your average American teenage girl look like a casual user. Now a software program has been developed to run on the phones that make it possible for Japanese women to 'assert' themselves and let the groper know that she knows what's up. This supposedly allows them to say 'NO' very quietly without making a scene. In the Japanese culture, it is not socially acceptable to make a scene, and because of this women are more inclined to just take the groping without incident. Until now! Here is a quote from the referenced article explaining this 'concept'

The application flashes increasingly threatening messages in bold print on the phone's screen, which the person groped can show to the offender: "Excuse me, did you just grope me?" "Groping is a crime," and finally, "Shall we head to the police?"

Users press an "Anger" icon in the program to progress to the next threat. A warning chime accompanies the messages.

While most things in Japan eventually make it over to the states, I think this one isn't going to be missed. American women can ward off a groper on their own, and they probably won't use polite phrases like 'pardon me, is that your hand on my ass? Perhaps you shall remove it so we do not have to involve the authorities'.