This is the latest in my series about Japanese signboards. Until now we’ve looked at giant moving crabs and manga cafés… Fun things.
But some signboards are about really serious things. (Though they still make me laugh!) Have a look at this one. I found it on a station platform.
The larger letters down the right say Chikan ni Chui, which means
“WATCH OUT FOR PERVERTS!””
The word in red is chikan, which means a guy who gropes at women in trains. It has been a social problem since long time ago in Japan.
These guys cause a lot of problems on trains and create misery for women traveling to work. The fact that the trains are packed makes it easier for the chikan and harder to know which guy did it…How to watch them out then !?
Therefore, we have trains with “Ladies Only” carriages during rush hours (女性専用車両 -> http://learnjapanese123.com/blog/?p=145 as a way of beating the problem.
The rest of the message reads Fushinsha wo mitara 110-ban – “Dial 110 (police) if you see anyone suspicious”.
We girls have got to stand up to chikan. It’s dirty and insulting. Chikan ni chuui!
–Kazue
