I commuted for a few years in Paris, and have seen a few dozens fist fights between passengers, sometimes at rush hour. And people get their purse mugged in the car behind, homeless shitting in the back of the car, super high guy with completely empty eyes playing with a knife while sitting next to the door.
It was a fucking circus. Having a “women only” car at rush hour to deescalate tensions is such a minor peeve in comparison.
Having a “women only” car shows there are deep societal issues that are normalized due to the country’s ultra patriarchal ways. A normal solution would be to prosecute the perpetrators but Japan doesn’t take women seriously. A “women only” car does not at all address the cultural problem of men thinking it’s okay to commit sexual assault.
I get your point, but having a “women only” car (which is actually a “women and kids and elderly and disabled people only”, from 7h to 10h in the morning) is a lower hurdle than what people imagine.
It is not the high moral ground solution, and two cars among 20 isn’t a big change either, but that’s the most pragmatic solution to this. Catching some random guy during rush hours when there’s a train every 4 min and thousands of people get in and out is more of a logistical nightmare than how you make it sound like.
Intentional or accidental groping also happens in France for instance, and the best you’ll get will be a passenger fight, no cops nor rail staff coming in to do anything, while the other passengers shout insanities at the fighters because the train is already too fucking late (actually had that once on the train I was riding). The equivalent situation is taken way more seriously in Japan[0].
Patriarchy is strong either way, but I’d be looking at school uniforms more than rush hour arrangements if we want to dig on the topic.
