To improve passenger safety in Japan, West Japan Railway Company (JR West) has launched blade-resistant umbrellas for use on its trains.

This initiative follows several knife attacks on trains, particularly a stabbing incident in July 2023 in the Kansai region that left three individuals injured.

The company plans to deploy 1,200 blade-resistant umbrellas across 600 trains in the Kansai area, with distribution expected to start in November.

These newly designed umbrellas are 20 centimeters longer than standard models and are made from a special fabric that resists blade penetration. They are also lightweight and more convenient to use and store compared to traditional self-defense tools like "sasumata" prods. The umbrellas are intended to provide passengers with extra time to escape in emergency situations.

Kazuaki Hasegawa, president of JR West, commented in an interview with 'The Mainichi', "They can be effectively operated inside a carriage and are robust. In an emergency, we want the crew to act quickly and ensure that passengers evacuate safely."

JR West is the first train company in Japan to develop such a safety device.

A JR West representative told 'The Mainichi', "The protective shields we used previously were short-range and cumbersome. We have designed a shield that is more manageable for female employees."

In the July 2023 incident, a stabbing on the Kansai Airport Line resulted in injuries to three individuals, including two passengers.