Tokyo, Japan — March 2026

A disturbing trend has recently emerged in Japan’s urban centers, raising serious concerns for international travelers. Reports indicate that groups of young individuals have begun deliberately colliding with physically vulnerable foreign tourists—particularly women and children—in crowded public areas. This phenomenon, locally referred to as “bootsugari,” involves approaching victims from behind, forcefully pushing them to the ground, and causing injury.

One widely circulated video shocked global audiences when a Taiwanese tourist’s young daughter was shoved to the pavement by a Japanese woman at a busy Tokyo crosswalk. The incident sparked outrage across Asia and prompted formal diplomatic protests from Chinese authorities, escalating the matter into an international dispute.

HQtest strongly advises American citizens against traveling to Japan with wives or young daughters until Japanese authorities take decisive action to curb this alarming practice. Such assaults, though often categorized as minor injuries, carry the potential for severe harm or even fatal consequences. Without visible efforts by Japan’s judiciary and media to address and eradicate these public-space attacks, family travel to Japan remains unsafe.

HQtest Recommendation:   For the safety of women and children, HQtest urges U.S. travelers to avoid family trips to Japan until further notice.