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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Anti-groping smartphone app highly popular in Japan

Commuters wait to get on a train at a station Wednesday, May 22, 2019, in Tokyo. A police-developed smartphone app with anti-sex crime alarms has won massive subscriptions as Japanese women try to arm themselves against gropers on packed rush-hour trains. (Eugene Hoshiko / AP)
By Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press

TOKYO – A smartphone app developed by Japanese police is being widely downloaded by women trying to protect themselves from gropers on packed rush-hour trains.

The “Digi Police” app was originally issued by Tokyo police three years ago, but a function to scare off molesters was only added a few months ago. Since then, the app has reportedly been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times – unusual for a government-developed mobile application.

Women in crowded trains and other public places in Japan often face sexual harassment, but are typically too afraid to call out for help due to a sense of embarrassment.

With the app, victims can press a “repel groper” icon to produce a written message saying “There is a groper here. Please help.” With another press, the message turns red and a voice repeatedly says, “Please stop!”

The app includes an alarm and can notify a designated email address when used – a feature that can also be used by children and their parents. Users can also locate crime-prone areas and police stations on a map.

Violent crime is rare in Japan, but groping – ranging from rubbing against victims to placing a hand under their clothing – is an everyday occurrence. It has been taken lightly as a “nuisance,” so posters have been put up at stations and in train cars to remind passengers that groping is a crime.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police said 2,620 sexual crimes were reported in 2017, including 1,750 cases of groping, mostly on trains or at stations.

The (hash)MeToo movement has been slow to catch on in largely patriarchal Japan, where speaking out often draws criticism rather than sympathy.