Women-only passenger cars
Trains in Japan are always on time (except for accidents). I am proud of “Japanese train system”,
on the other hand they are extremely crowded, especially during morning/evening commute.
Some men use the crowded nature of trains to molest a woman, and it has been a problem of society in Japan. Therefore some railway/subway companies offered women-only passenger cars called “Josei senyou sharyou” (じょせいせんようしゃりょう, 女性専用車両) on some lines during morning/everning commute.
* “Josei” means “women”, “senyou” means “only”, sharyo means “assenger car”. :)
If you can see signs like the following picture on platforms, it’s “Women-only passenger car”.
(Each line’s sign is different from others, but usually using pink color.) some lines in Tokyo and Osaka offer this cars during morning/evening or morning commute, not all lines :)
This system is controversial because it doesn’t work for reducing the occurrence of groping on trains, or a kind of discrimination etc,.
Some men agree with this cars, because they don’t need to worry about false accusation of being a groper. Quite many Japanese men hold strap with both hands to prove their innocence on crowded commuter trains. I feel sorry for such Japanese men…