A group of lawyers, scholars and housewives has launched a nonprofit organization to help victims of libel, fraud and other problems that have seen a sharp increase on the Internet.
Shirogane Cyberpol, which began accepting inquiries on its home page on April 21, is the first NPO in Japan to focus on such problems.
Victims hope the site will become a kind of "kakekomi-dera" -- a legendary Buddhist temple where, in feudal times, distressed wives sought refuge while awaiting divorce -- amid government delays in coping with the problem.