With the number of crimes involving stalking on the rise, a variety of new services and goods are targeting women who fear they might be attacked.
Tokyo Safe Guard, which holds self-defense classes combining martial arts with combat sports in the Akihabara district and other locations, introduced a class for women a year ago that offers students tips on how to escape when suddenly hugged from behind or grabbed by the arm.
When the school opened seven years ago, most of the students were male, but over time, the ratio of female students has gone up, instructor Maho Yoshino said.