Japanese couples don't usually demonstrate affection towards each other in public places. Public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex—such as kissing and hugging —are considered rude and should be kept private. Public display of affection might not be common, but it is certainly not forbidden either. Holding hands perfectly accepted. Moreover family members almost never touch, hug or even display physical affection in public places.
Sexual assault in Japan: ‘Every girl was a victim’
7 Reasons Why Japanese Girls DON'T like Foreign Guys - Tokyo Night Owl
Tokyo, Japan — Tamaka Ogawa was about 10 years old when she was sexually assaulted for the first time. It was a public holiday and she was on the subway. A man standing behind her pulled down the band of her culottes and underwear, touched her bare bottom, then pressed himself against her. She recalls feeling shocked and physically sickened. When she reached home, she repeatedly washed the spot where he had pressed himself against her, although she was conscious of not spending too long in the toilet, in case her family noticed that something was wrong. Some years later, on her first day of senior high school, she was groped on the commute home. After that, the groping and sexual assaults — men would often stick their hands inside her underwear — became a regular occurrence as she made her way to or from school in her uniform.