TOKYO, Japan — A Tokyo police smartphone app to scare off molesters has become a smash hit in Japan, where women have long run the gauntlet of groping on packed rush-hour trains. The app has been downloaded more than 237,000 times, an "unusually high figure" for a public service app, said police official Keiko Toyamine. "Thanks to its popularity, the number is increasing by some 10,000 every month," Toyamine told AFP. "I tend to be vigilant on Tokyo trains as dodgy men can happen to be in front of me at any time," Kimura said. Awareness of the issue has risen in Japan in recent years, with women exchanging tips on how to avoid the unwanted attention online.

Source: Philippine Star May 21, 2019 08:11 UTC