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Train worker arrested for breathing in woman's ear photo

Remember the days when Japanese bullet trains and subway lines were nothing but non-stop grope fests? Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but being a male foreigner, I only really know what I've read on the subject. I suppose it's still a bit of a problem, but I'd like to believe that recent laws and the international attention its received has helped pressure Japanese authorities into doing something about it.

Occasionally, I read stories such as this one. A JR West employee was recently arrested on his way to work after a woman's husband caught the guy blowing into her ear. While that might not be enough to get your arrested in America -- maybe a stern warning -- the Japanese prefectural nuisance laws aren't as forgiving.

The husband apprehended the guy and handed him over to the police. Naturally, he denied it, but somehow I doubt that defense is going to hold up, especially considering the attention these nuisance laws have garnered in recent years. I get that trains are sometimes crowded, but blowing in someones ear? Talk about creepy. Now, if only there was a law for close-talkers.



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Legacy Comments

I love the term "nuisance laws". The concept of smacking people down for shit that has no right to actually be illegal but is a persistent enough problem that something has to be done is pretty amusing.

On topic, who would do that? I don't get how people don't have the courage to just walk up to girls and talk to them but have no problem blowing into their ears in public.
Do I understand it correctly, that you believe people should be able to physically and mentally interfere with other people without the victim's permission?
I think what MMH meant was more like 'Nuisance laws - sure, there are more serious issues to deal with, but we'll 'fix' this one because we have to keep up appearances'.

I'm just more concerned that maybe the worker was innocent, although I concede that the possibility of his innocence is unlikely because I don't see a motive for the husband/victim to tell a lie.
If you've played WarioWare Touched!, you know how this can affect another person.
maybe he was just feeling all sexy being on such a sleek and sexy train and all.
Ear blowing is a slippery slope. First you start with breaths, then whistles, then coughs and sneezes and finally, you bring a leafblower.
@ Kilkrazy

Not that blowing into someone's ear doesn't warrant some sort of punishment, it's just that for something that stupid to be explicitly legislated against is very amusing. I mean, when you're playing a game of chess you shouldn't have to have a rule against using checkers pieces that can't be captured because anyone with sense wouldn't do that.
Did he blow into her ear, or was he just breathing around her ear area?

@fission2

It's well known that those convicted of even minor laws are screwed. They lose jobs and things like that. So girls have been blackmailing men, saying that they will press charges unless they settle monetarily. A lot of innocent salarymen have been falsely accused by opportunistic women.

So there is definitely a possibility that the husband/victim are motivated by intent to blackmail. Who knows however.


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