Thanks to greenwillow27 for pointing out yet another reason why I love the Japanese:

(10-20) 04:00 PDT Tokyo -- On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hopes will ease Japan's growing fears of crime.

With a deft motion, Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifted a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet fully open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers - by disguising herself as a vending machine.

You can find the rest of the article here and it is 100% awesome.

I sent it to a friend at work and she said that she loves that this culture is too embarrassed to make a scene to call for help, but is perfectly fine with pretending to be a vending machine. &hearts