Holidaying Taiwan woman kicks drunk Japan sex pest in groin, triggering hilarity online

Taiwan’s “most beautiful village chief” has become a viral sensation in Japan after she kicked a sexual harasser in the groin while on holiday.

Ho Chihning, 27, who has 25,000 followers on her Instagram account @chihning2577, was elected village chief of Hsinchu city in Taiwan in 2022.

She posted on social media that she was harassed by a man on June 15 this year, while visiting Tokyo.

The man, who appeared to be drunk, approached Ho outside the Otsuka railway station with a can of alcohol in his hand and talked to her in Japanese and English.

Ho said he was implying that he wanted to have sex with her, and she said “no” to him more than once.

She did not want to reveal the location of her hotel, so she went into a nearby bookshop to escape from the man’s unwanted attention.

He followed Ho into the bookshop where she said the assistant noticed she was in trouble but did not do anything to help.

As Ho left the shop, the man grabbed her backside twice. She responded by kicking him in the groin.

Her video shows the man bent over and screaming in pain, while still holding onto his drink.

Ho reported the incident to the police, who arrested the man at the site for the offence of breaking the anti-nuisance ordinance.

The incident, which was widely reported in Japan and China, has sparked amusement online.

“Good job. He deserves it,” said one person on Weibo.

“Even after being kicked in the groin and in agony, he would not let go of the can,” another person said on YouTube.

Some Japanese people apologised for the behaviour of the harasser.

Known as chikan in Japanese, sexual harassers are a problem in the country.

Under Japan’s anti-nuisance laws, offenders can face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to one million yen (US$6,200), but many victims do not report suspects to the police.

In another Instagram post Ho said her harasser was not Japanese, adding that she is still fond of Japan and will visit the country again.

Ho gained popularity in Taiwan while campaigning to become chief of her village. She was nicknamed “Hsinchu’s most beautiful village chief” when she was elected.