Eric Takabayashi wrote:

> What you yourself say: you lead a sheltered existence.

I can't believe that you are taking seriously a comment I made two years ago
*tongue in cheek*.

Eric, I have done my fair share of drinking in Shibuya and Kabuki-cho, I
have been on the last train home more times than some have had hot dinners -
sometimes I have missed it, and been out on the tiles all night! - and I
have seen just how wild it gets (rather tame compared with my life on the
streets of Granada and other European cities, and very tame compared with
more recent experiences in Seoul and Bangkok, but that's Japan, I guess). I
have also spent more time on those crowded commuter trains (where most of
the chikan activity takes place) than I care to remember, though these days
I make the effort and get up early to beat the rush.

When I said

>>  Perhaps I live a sheltered life, but pray tell me about this Japan
>>  in which "chikan is the rule"

I assumed you'd be intelligent enough to work out that I was not actually
saying I live in an ivory tower, but casting doubt on this Japan where
"chikan is the rule". I'm amazed that you took me literally.

> And I don't care what YOU believe about the males YOU
> know and how decent they are.

Fine. Neither do I care that you think that for them as for other Japanese
males molesting women is "the rule". Take your silly prejudices and drown in
them.

> I will repeat: I am not commenting on Ernest's statement, I am commenting
on
> your disbelief.

Doesn't make sense, Eric. I don't believe Ernest's statement, and I have
shown you exactly why; even if it were true that three-quarters of Japanese
women had been molested on trains it would still not make it "the rule" for
Japanese men to molest women. However, since there are many millions of
women who do not use the trains regularly and many millions more who do not
use them during the rush hour, I do have difficulty believing that
three-quarters of women have been affected, though a figure of "at least
17%" (and perhaps as many as twice that) does seem to me to be a not
unreasonable estimate.

If you have a problem with that, fine. I've said all I need to.

--
John
http://rarebooksinjapan.com