An etiquette video by railway operator Tokyu Corp. aimed at stopping women from putting on makeup while riding its trains has set off a storm of criticism on social media, with many accusing it of going too far in dictating passenger behavior.

The 30-second Japanese-language video featuring actress Sawa Nimura starts with a provocative line: "Women in the city are all beautiful. But they are ugly to see, at times."

It then shows a couple of young commuters applying mascara.