Chinese Embassy in Japan issues warning against ‘bumpers’ after viral video

The Chinese Embassy in Japan warned its citizens Wednesday to stay vigilant against “bumpers” in Japan who deliberately walk into people on the street after a viral video last month showed a woman knocking over a tourist in Tokyo.

In the Instagram video, a girl posing at Shibuya crossing can be seen suddenly being shoved from behind by a masked woman.

The embassy warning posted on X urged people to keep a safe distance in crowded places and avoid using their smartphones while walking. In the event they are bumped into, it urges people to respond calmly and immediately file a report at the nearest police station.

“Targeting foreign tourists as well as vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly, (bumpers) deliberately elbow or violently bump into victims while passing by, causing injury, and then quickly blend into the crowd and flee,” the post read.

The warning came as Tokyo was pushing back against Beijing’s claims that Japan’s safety environment is deteriorating. In a regular news conference on Feb. 17, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the number of heinous crimes, including murders and robberies, against Chinese nationals went down in 2025 compared with 2024.

The two countries have been at odds over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in November about how a possible Taiwan contingency could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which prompted China to call on travelers to refrain from visiting the country.

Bumpers have periodically made the news in Japan. Called butsukari otoko, or bumper guys, assailants are often described as middle-aged men who mainly shove women, with videos of such attacks posted on social media going viral.