Japan's solution to surging knife-attacks are 'umbrellas'; how they work
What's the story
Amid a rise in knife attacks, Japan will be placing hundreds of blade-resistant umbrellas on its trains.
The West Japan Railway Co (JR West) announced the safety measure at a press conference in Osaka.
The company plans to distribute around 1,200 of these lightweight and easy-to-use, specially designed umbrellas across 600 trains in the Kansai region.
Design details
Umbrella design aims to enhance passenger safety
The device, which looks like a regular umbrella, comes with canopies made from blade-resistant material and are approximately 20cm longer than regular ones.
The extra length is meant to keep attackers at a further distance and give passengers time to escape.
The umbrellas also have reinforced canopies and thicker handles for better grip and control, making them a great defense tool against potential threats on board trains.
Safety measures
JR West's proactive measures to enhance public safety
JR West President Kazuaki Hasegawa said, "The protective shields that have been deployed until now were close-range and heavy."
He added, "We have devised a shield that is also easy for female employees to use. In the event of an emergency, we want the crew to respond and have the passengers evacuate safely"
The development of the umbrella was prompted by a violent incident in July 2023 when an assailant injured three people on a JR West train.
Public concerns
Rising knife attacks on public transport spark safety concerns
Kazuya Shimizu, 37, told police he had gotten into a fight with another passenger before attacking him. Three of the 150 passengers aboard the train were injured, including the driver who attempted to help.
Another man, Kyota Hattori, was found guilty of attempted murder and arson after attacking 17 passengers on a train in Tokyo in October 2021. Hattori carried out the attack dressed as the Joker, claiming that he was motivated by a similar occurrence two months prior.
Weapons
Passengers on Japanese trains had no defense earlier
Before the umbrellas, passengers on Japanese trains had no defense against a knife attack, although station staff have access to acrylic shields and "sasumata."
The sasumata is a polearm weapon that dates back to Japan's feudal era and is simply a metal semicircle on the end of a long pole designed to pin someone down by a limb or even the neck.
Both are tough to utilize in cramped quarters of a railway carriage.