As dusk falls across Japan’s cities, a sense of unease falls upon many women on their journeys home.
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Reports of brutal femicides have struck a deep chord, fuelling a surge in the purchase of self-defence items – even as legal experts warn that arming oneself may come at a cost.
The recent killing of Megumi Katayama, 24, who was stabbed multiple times by a stranger in a Kobe residential lift last month, has stoked public concern.
Social media platforms buzzed with messages urging women to take their safety into their own hands. “Carry pepper spray at all times,” one widely shared post read. “Even just holding it in your hand when someone enters a lift makes you feel safer. I want every woman to carry one.”
The sentiment resonated online, with responses ranging from “pepper spray is the best self-defence method”, to “I heard it might be against the law, but it’s better than being killed”, and, “just between you and me, I carry one”.
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