Is violence against women a big problem in Japan?

Florence N. Smith
Teacher/photog., 36 (U.S.)
Absolutely. I recently read that one in five Japanese women have suffered violence or the threat of violence from the men in their lives.

John Henville
Teacher, 27 (Canadian)
I think unchecked, overt sexism here is a leading cause of aggression towards women. I'm troubled to think of how much violent crime against women goes unreported.

Makiko Ando
Trading, 33
Besides physical abuse, many people in Japan are not aware of the issue of mental abuse. There should be more opportunities for women to learn how to protect their own dignity and security.

Veronika Racmonova
Finance (Czech)
I feel much safer here than in Prague, but if there is one big problem I think it's that women here behave according to men's expectations rather than their own feelings.

Michiel Oostindie
Engineer, 30 (Dutch)
I think if you compare Japan to other countries — like Mexico, for example — it's not that bad here. The women I know don't complain or seem to have any signs of problems.

Kaori Ito
Child care, 28
I know someone who was a victim of domestic violence. For victims, there should be more in place than just shelters. I think that's one of many big problems in Japan.