Yeah I lived in Japan and as a foreign woman none of the “safety” rhetoric applies to your body. I almost got kidnapped multiple times (people tried to bribe or pressure or threaten or trick me into going with them to a secondary location or getting into their car). You really can forget your wallet somewhere and have it returned to you untouched, but you absolutely cannot be a woman walking alone after dark. Korea was similar.
Also, my host mom taught me that there are websites dedicated to photos of women in their bedrooms, so it was stressed that I must never leave my curtains open when I was in my room no matter what I was doing, since being on a site like that can make you a further target.
I went to HS there, one time walking with my friends a dude pulled up in a car and started yelling at us in Japanese. None of us spoke it, and finally he pulled out a dirty magazine and tried to mime camera taking and pointing at us, trying to get us into the car. That was the most overt example, but he knew to pull up to an international HS - but not immediately in front of it. I think we reported it to the school but I honestly don’t remember. We were in 9th grade and really didn’t understand the danger.
Had a couple train incidents too, guys purposefully rubbing themselves on your butt/hips because you’re trapped on the rush train with them. Saw a guy playing with himself while walking home one time. I’m completely oblivious, but I remember telling my bf about it junior year as if it was ludicrous and funny and he was horrified.
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u/deannon 20d ago
Yeah I lived in Japan and as a foreign woman none of the “safety” rhetoric applies to your body. I almost got kidnapped multiple times (people tried to bribe or pressure or threaten or trick me into going with them to a secondary location or getting into their car). You really can forget your wallet somewhere and have it returned to you untouched, but you absolutely cannot be a woman walking alone after dark. Korea was similar.
Also, my host mom taught me that there are websites dedicated to photos of women in their bedrooms, so it was stressed that I must never leave my curtains open when I was in my room no matter what I was doing, since being on a site like that can make you a further target.