Japan train company to equip staff with cameras for their own safety

While portable cameras in many countries have been associated with protecting the public against misconduct by people in positions of authority, in the case of JR East, Japan’s largest train company , the problem is quite the opposite.

Japanese society can generally be described as polite and peaceful. However, station employees are sometimes subjected to verbal abuse and even physical attacks from train passengers, often those who have had too much to drink.

A 2020 study found that there are nearly 400 reported cases of physical assaults on rail workers, and JR hopes that equipping its employees with portable cameras “will enhance the safety of station employees and promote the creation of an environment in which they can work feeling safe and calm”

JR East says it will deploy portable cameras at 15 stations, though an exact list of which has not been made available. Fulfilling their preventive measure function, the cameras will be highly visible , attached to the chest area of the employees’ uniforms and with a written indicator indicating that they are recording/transmitting .

The footage being recorded will be simultaneously shared with a security company so that security guards can quickly rush to the scene of the problem.