I have been away from Japan so long that my “Japanese common sense” must be at least a bit off.
Last time I was in Japan I noticed a big sign at a subway station, “Women Only（女性専用車） “ on the platform indicating where the train car for women only stops. I figure this is a good thing as apparently those perverts who grope women in sardine packed trains are still prevalent and these “women only” cars are to protect women, right?
Meanwhile, I have also seen parking spots in some parking structure at a department store in Yokohama marked, “Ladies Only”. The few spots marked as such were wider than others and located near the walkway bride connected to the store building. Does this mean they (whoever they are) are saying women drivers need more space to park and can’t walk too far? Shouldn’t these spaces be marked rather as “handicapped” (although “handicapped” is also very P.IC)? Or are they actually saying “ladies” are synonymous to “handicapped”? Huh?
It’s funny to see your comment because I have taken similar photos of “women only” signs! I’ve been living in the States for the last 11yrs and I now find many interesting things my family in Japan do not even notice when I visit.
Hey, hey. Interesting article, and no, your common sense hasn’t deserted you, but neither has the women’s in Japan, it would seem. Basically, there have been spates of Japanese women being felt up on trams by lonely salarymen on their ways back to the suburbs. These salarymen just can’t help themselves, therefore the women with whom they have been sharing subway carriages with have had the full force of their desire, as it were.
The situation has become so endemic that they have now cordoned off whole carriages just for women, in order to ‘alleviate the pressure’ (ha!).
Apparently it has assisted to a point, but now they are having issues with spates of cross-dressing men..
(That last bit I most definitely made up.)