Japanese Mobile “Anti-Groping Appli” Grabbing World Headlines

It started with a simple article submitted to Associated Press by Hiroko Tabuchi. Not a big scoop, just a feature about a free downloadable mobile application which can discreetly tell a violator to back off without causing a fuss or disturbance… or else. The story was not only picked up by EVERY major news source from every part of the globe, it was distorted and rewritten to the point of announcing a “new initiative” by Japan to fight an “epidemic” of gropers in the country. Huh?!

Watching the story unfold and reappearing in a different form every half hour during the day, blognation Japan decided to take a look at this “Japanese phenomenon” (which of course NO ONE knows about over here) to learn what the REAL scoop was.

We first discovered the application DOES exist and is downloadable for free. The real name of the application is Chikan Boushi Appli or Chikan Prevention Mobile Application. Chikan (pronounced chee-kun) is the Japanese word for person who inappropriately touches someone else in what is usually a crowded train - so crowded it is often difficult to see exactly who’s hand is going where it shouldn’t. This IS an ongoing issue in Japan which has been around for some time. It’s enough of an issue to actually have train cars committed on certain lines and at certain times for females only (in large urban centers usually in the morning).

The application is in Spicey Soft’s “Appli Get Top 100” list and is presently ranked at number 20. The application itself is simply activated with hotkeys which will display one of three messages in LARGE LETTERS which can be shown to the perpetrator.

The first message displays in large font: “Ah, have you touched me inappropriately?” done with apprehension and clarification. Rather than embarrassing the person who really didn’t MEAN to be tangled in such a way (and if you’ve been to Japan, you would know what that is like), it gives them the opportunity to either apologize and back away without causing a fuss or shouting match.

The second message displayed is a firmer warning: “To be a Chikan is a crime!”. It’s a direct accusation which strongly calls for an immediate apology and a brisk departure to another car or train altogether.

The final message displayed is a firmer warning: “How would you like to accompany me to the police station?”. It says the victim isn’t being polite anymore and the authorities are going to be involved, whether the aggressor likes it or not. An alarm setting can also be made if things get out of hand.

While the original Tabuchi article is close with these translations, the meanings are often taken from a foreign or American context which makes them sound very amusing or “weird”.

Chikans are a serious social problem in Japan and it’s interesting how technology is playing a part in dealing with it. Japanese are not weird and act no differently than anyone else in similar circumstances (other than being MORE polite about it). I just want international reporters to get it right.

Tags: blognation, Japan, blognation Japan, Chikan, anti-groping, crime, prevention, mobile, application, appli, Japanese, violator, sexual crime, victim