There's a new phrase on working women's lips: "yononaka kara sekuhara ga kieta (sexual harassment is gone from the world)."
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when this happened, but my friend Satoko (33, IT company executive) says it all began with the "jyosei-senryo sharyo (women-only train cars)," installed with the sole purpose of protecting women passengers from chikan (perverts) during rush hour.
Satoko, though gratified that the women-only cars exist, points out that since their introduction, Japanese men have become noticeably more passive and cowardly in their approach to women. "Before, there was a lot of light sexual teasing at drinking parties and it sort of loosened up the atmosphere. Now everyone talks to each other like bureaucrats. It's polite and pleasant, but definitely not fun."