How to Protect Yourself from Chikan :: Essays Papers

How to Protect Yourself from Chikan All trains and subways in Tokyo and other cities around Tokyo are terribly crowded during rush hour. In addition to the crowds on trains, young female passengers have to go through one more trial on a train. They must protect themselves from Chikans, men who touch women on the train. Women who are working or studying in Tokyo have to keep three things in mind when they are on a train: how to avoid meeting Chikans, how to protect themselves, and how to protect their friends. First, young women should try not to choose lines or trains which have a high possibility of meeting Chikans. Needless to say, Chikans seldom appear on trains which are not crowded. Accordingly, the best way to avoid Chikans is to avoid taking crowded trains. However, women have to take crowded trains during rush hour to arrive at their offices or schools on time. Though they cannot choose the time of the trains, they can choose which line they should take. In general, women meet Chikans more frequently when they take private lines, the subways, or JR lines. They especially have to be aware of some lines which have a bad reputation among young women. For example, the Odakyu line is one of the most crowded trains. We have all kinds of schools, including high-level, low-level, and public schools along the Odakyu line, and many women, especially female students, tend to meet Chikans on this line. I met ones who were male students of a certain school when I was a high school student. In contrast, many schools along the subways in the center part of Tokyo are high-level or expensive private schools, and women do not meet Chikans very much on these lines. The Inogashira line is also famous among women for Chikans. Many young people use this line to go to Shibuya, which is the most popular place in Tokyo. Some of my friends told me that some men use this line only to touch women. Because of these reasons, I often use other lines to go to Tokyo. Next, many young women tend to put up with Chikans silently when they are on a train alone. However, they should protect themselves from Chikans by following three steps. First, if you think that someone is touching you, turn your head slowly and look at his hand to make sure that he is really a Chikan.