The West Japan Railway Co. has developed an umbrella that can withstand blades and knives. The Japan Railway West will start installing two in each of the 600 trains that run along in the Kinki region, which also includes Kyoto and Osaka. About one meter long, these umbrellas have a diameter of 1.1 meters when opened. These umbrellas weigh about 700 grams, which is considerably lighter to hold. The mesh fiber of the umbrellas gives the holder sight of assailants, if any. While the crime rate in Japan is considerably lower than most nations, the recent spate of knife attacks, including the July 2023 incident at the JR Kansai Airport Line train in the Osaka prefecture, left three injured, which included two passengers and the driver who tried to intervene. In 2021, 26-year-old Kyoto Hattori, dressed as the Joker, attacked 17 passengers on a train in Tokyo that injured at least 10. Hattori was apprehended and sentenced to 23 years in prison. The deadliest mass stabbing in the history of Japan was in 2016 when Satoshi Uematsu broke into a care facility for the mentally disabled in Sagamihara, Tokyo, killing 19 and injuring 26 people.
Japan equips trains with stab-proof umbrellas to combat knife crime.
The West Japan Railway Company will install two on each train for use by staff to fend off attackers and protect passengers ⬇️https://t.co/eUSJmVkKe4— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) October 23, 2024
JR West has developed a stab-resistant, lightweight umbrella that will be used to protect passengers and crew members from knife-wielding assailants on trains.https://t.co/Xj1qzSemII— The Japan News (@The_Japan_News) October 22, 2024
Officials said they hope the umbrellas, which are lightweight and easy to use, can help passengers and crew fend off attackers until help can arrive.https://t.co/e17mJ1867Z— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) October 23, 2024
The equipment is 20cm longer than an average umbrella, to keep attackers at a greater distance, and features a thicker and tougher handle as well as strengthened connecting material.— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) October 23, 2024
JR West also uses a blade-resistant material to make the device’s canopy.— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) October 23, 2024
While Japan has enjoyed one of the lowest crime rates in the world, there has been a surge of unprovoked knife attacks on people riding trains in recent years.— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) October 23, 2024
JR West to introduce ‘blade-proof umbrellas’ to protect Japan train passengers in attack https://t.co/HwnxEO19fM— The Mainichi (Japan Daily News) (@themainichi) October 19, 2024
Meanwhile, besides the anti-blade umbrellas, the JR West is also equipping some of its trains with other protective shields, including stab-resistant gloves and stab-resistant vests and shields. The stab-resistant umbrella developed by the company will soon be installed on the trains ahead of the upcoming Osaka-Kansai Expo in 2025.
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