Page 12 - IAV Digital Magazine #481
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Invisible-ink Stamps To Identify Gropers On Japanese Public Transport Sell Out In Minutes
By Amy Woodyatt and Yoko Wakatsuki, CNN
Tokyo (CNN)A new device aimed at tack- ling sexual harassment on crowded trains and public trans- port has sold out just half an hour after it went on sale in Japan.
The "anti-grop- ing" stamps, manufactured by stamp-maker Shachihata Inc., allow victims of harassment to mark their assailants
with invisible ink, and also provide a deterrent to would-be attack- ers.
A limited run of 500 stamps, which retailed at 2,500 yen
(about $24), sold out within 30 minutes of going on sale on Tuesday, a com- pany spokesman told CNN.
In May, Shachihata said it would develop the stamp after discussions erupted on social network- ing sites about how to discour- age groping -- known as "chikan" -- on crowded trains.
One social media user sug- gested pricking the offender's hands with a safety pin, while others pointed out that this could be a crime in itself.
Others suggest- ed stamps could
be used to mark and shame offenders. Shachihata, a well-known stamp maker in Japan, hinted it might be able to help to develop the product, and after three months the com- pany revealed trial sales for its first model.
In a test-run sale, the stamps sold out within 30 minutes, Shachihata Inc. spokesman Fumihiro Mukai told CNN.
"I was so sur- prised how quickly they were sold out," he said. Although police have not been
involved in the development of the stamp, Mukai told CNN that the compa- ny is hopeful that it will help curb sexual harassment.
Japan is ranked 110th out of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum's index measuring gen-
der equality.
The country also ranks bottom among G7 coun- tries for gender equality, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pledge to empower work- ing women through a policy called "wome- nomics."
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