Man Trips Strangers on Subway Platforms... Japanese Netizens Shocked

A Form of Harassment Similar to 'Butsukari,' Where Strangers Are Deliberately Bumped Shoulders With
"Social Stress Taken Out on Women, Children, and the Vulnerable"

In Japan, senseless harassment targeting vulnerable individuals in unspecified large groups has emerged as a pressing social issue. Such actions include tripping pedestrians on subway platforms and deliberately bumping into women or the elderly as they walk by.

Recently, a video spread on social media platforms such as X showing a man at a Japanese subway station platform tripping female passersby. In the footage, the women tripped by the man stumbled and nearly fell, highlighting the dangerous nature of the act. The man repeatedly targeted women and men of smaller stature—those he perceived as relatively weaker.

A Japanese man tripping the feet of passersby. Screenshot from social media.

The Japanese netizen who shared the video pointed out, “It seems like he deliberately picks only weak people as targets.” Local viewers who watched the footage also voiced harsh criticism, commenting, “So creepy,” “What if a train had been approaching?” and “This is a disgrace to our nation.”

Previously, Japan saw the emergence of the term “butsukari” to describe this type of harassment targeting vulnerable individuals. “Butsukari” is a neologism referring to the act of deliberately ramming one’s shoulder into women or the elderly.

According to a 2024 survey conducted among 21,000 Japanese adults, 14% of respondents said they had experienced butsukari, and 6% reported having witnessed it firsthand—results that sparked public debate.

In 2018, controversy grew after footage circulated of a man colliding with four women in succession. More recently, last month, a man residing in Yokohama City was arrested for injuring an elementary school student by deliberately bumping into him and knocking him down.

Masayuki Kiryu, a criminal psychologist and professor at Toyo University, explained in an interview with Japanese economic media outlet Toyo Keizai that such perpetrators act out their dissatisfaction and stress with society and reality by taking it out on those weaker than themselves—namely, women, children, and the elderly. He emphasized that “butsukari” offenders tend to select targets who appear more vulnerable than themselves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.