Hoping I can get a honest answer about the current state of sexual assault of women in japan.

I know its a very common occurrence, especially in trains.

I have a few questions:
Do women report it or is it practically useless? (due to the lack of a sexual equal viewpoint in the legal system)
Is there a culture of shame associated with being sexually assaulted / raped? Do people hide the fact rather than seek justice? Considering the traditional culture of not being open.
Is the younger generation better?
Why the do people let it happen? Just stand by? Not do anything? I find this hard to understand coming from a place where sexually assaulting a woman would get you punched square in the jaw (or worse).

A note, I have talked with young japanese women (20-25), despite the fact they have been assaulted themselves, and are (obviously) angry about it, and there seems to be an overwhelming amount of downplay of the seriousness of it.
Statements such as “It could happen anywhere! (in the world)”, I realise they are trying to defend japan. Don’t want people to think its a bad place, but unfortunately they are just defending the men who assault them.

Don’t think this topic breaks any rules. And please, only serious answers, this information is getting hard to find without actually going to japan.