My comments concern an April 23 news story about the arrest of a man who raped a 21-year-old girl aboard a train last summer. Some Japanese people who talked about this crime said “kawaiso” (I am sorry for her). But none had a word to say about the passengers in the car who knew what was happening but did nothing to stop it.
The only thing I can conclude from their remarks is that the concept of kawaiso (a term to express sympathy for something, someone or oneself) has been distorted, and now it seems to be a excuse that absolves people of all responsibility.
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