Criminal trials involving accused "chikan" — men who use the anonymity of crowded trains to grope women — represent the dark side of Japan's judicial system, according to their defense lawyers.
When men accused of this crime deny the charges, they are often detained for long periods and are pressured by investigators into making false confessions. Typically, police will tell them the offense "is just like speeding," lawyer Kenzo Akiyama, a former judge, told a recent public gathering on the issue in Tokyo.
The accused are usually freed if they agree to plead guilty and pay a fine.