This device will rub sickos the wrong way.
A Japanese manufacturer has launched an “anti-groping” stamp that allows victims of sexual harassment to imprint their attackers with invisible ink that can be revealed with UV light, according to the Japan Times.
A limited run of 500 of the small tubes — which cost about $23.50 apiece — sold out within an hour on Tuesday, according to maker Shachihata.
The stamp comes equipped with a black light that is used to illuminate the washable ink that leaves a telltale imprint of an open palm on the attacker’s skin.
Company spokesman Hirofumi Mukai said the product is designed mainly as a deterrent to discourage anyone from groping, a common problem — known as chikan — on Japan’s crowded trains.
An accompanying strap can be attached to a bag to shoo creeps away, he said.
The issue of sexual harassment is prevalent in Japan, where Tokyo police recorded 1,750 cases of groping or molestation in 2017 — with more than 50 percent of the cases reported on trains, according to the Independent.
A recent Nikkei survey of 1,000 working women found that 43 percent had experienced sexual harassment, but more than 60 percent did not report it.
In May, a viral tweet about a school doctor who suggested pricking gropers with a safety pin generated mixed responses, with some saying the tactic could be considered a crime in itself.
Shachihata then jumped into action when it received a tweet suggesting the development of an anti-groping stamp.
Other products have been introduced to address the groping crisis, including Digi Police, an app that shouts “Stop it!” and delivers a warning to other passengers that there is a molester on the train.
Digi Police has been downloaded more than 237,000 times since it was launched in May, The Guardian reported.
Yayoi Matsunaga, who heads the Osaka-based organization Chikan Yokushi Katsudo Center (Groping Prevention Activities Center), said it was too early to judge whether the new stamp can prevent groping but hailed it as “very meaningful.”
The fact that a company created an anti-groping product “should have a big impact on society, which could lead to deterrence,” she added.
