Hundreds of blade-resistant umbrellas will be deployed on Japanese trains to enhance passenger safety after a spate of knife attacks.
A Japanese company is introducing around 1,200 stab-proof, lightweight umbrellas on 600 trains in the Kansai region. These umbrellas are about 20cm longer than standard umbrellas, with reinforced canopies and thicker handles for better defence.
The West Japan Railway Co (JR West) initiative follows a series of violent incidents on trains, including an attack in July 2023 that injured three passengers. Japanese police arrested a 37-year-old man for stabbing three people on a train in Osaka last year.
The suspect was carrying three knives when apprehended at Rinku Town station immediately after the attack. The injured included a train conductor in his 20s and two male passengers, aged 23 and 79, all of whom were hospitalised but not critically injured.
According to Mainichi, the blade-proof umbrella is designed to be used like a shield when facing an assailant, extending about 20cm longer than a standard umbrella to create distance between the holder and the attacker.
This extra length is expected to provide time for other passengers behind the shield to escape to safety.
A JR West official said: “The protective shields that have been deployed until now were close-range and heavy. We have devised a shield that is also easy for female employees to use.”
Its umbrella-like shape reportedly makes it more compact, lightweight, and easier to store and use compared to other defence tools like a traditional Japanese weapon called sasumata – a long forked polearm – which was used in defence during an attempted robbery in Tokyo late last year.
JR West president, Kazuaki Hasegawa, said: “They can be operated to some extent inside a carriage and are strong. In the event of an emergency, we want the crew to respond and have the passengers evacuate safely.”
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, but concerns about random knife attacks have prompted train operators to enhance security measures lately, including installing more cameras and conducting safety drills.
“We’ll make additional efforts to improve the safety of our passengers ahead of next year’s Osaka-Kansai Expo,” a JR West official was quoted as saying by The Japan News.
