Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 1 (front left) and 2nd Main Building
The Tokyo metropolitan government has decided to establish an ordinance to prevent “customer harassment,” which is nuisance behavior such as abusive language and unreasonable demands by customers. According to the Tokyo metropolitan government, this is the first ordinance in the country specifically aimed at preventing harassment. There is no end to harassment not only in the private sector but also in public servants, and the government would like to use the ordinance as a legal basis to raise awareness of how to prevent harassment. (Chitomo Miyake)
◆ Submission of ordinance “hope for early release”; if enacted, it would be the first in the country
Governor Yuriko Koike, in her policy speech at a regular meeting of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on the 20th, emphasized that the damage caused by Kasushita harassment is becoming more serious at companies in Tokyo, saying, “There is a strong need to create rules that are unique to Tokyo.” As for when she would introduce the proposed ordinance, she told reporters after the meeting, “I hope it will be early.”
Last October, the metropolitan government established a committee to study measures against harassment, consisting of representatives from employer and worker organizations such as the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Rengo Tokyo, as well as academic experts. While the majority opinion was that the enactment of the ordinance would be effective, the majority were negative about the provision of penalties. Based on the discussions at the subcommittee, the metropolitan government will finalize the specific content of the proposed ordinance.
◆Severe damage to both public and private sectors
In 2020, Japan’s largest industrial labor union, UA Zensen, conducted a survey targeting members of 233 unions engaged in the service industry. 56.7%. Specific examples included, “I was called out for poor customer service at the cash register, and when I arrived, she grabbed me around the chest and dragged me away,” and “They kept telling me in an intimidating way, “You’re trash.”” .
Civil servants are also affected. In 2020, the All Japan Local Government Labor Union (Jichiro) conducted a survey of approximately 14,000 local government employees, and found that 46% of them had experienced nuisance behavior or malicious complaints in the past three years.
Akita Prefecture’s “Prefectural Basic Ordinance for Creating a Diverse Society,” which went into effect in April 2022, clearly states that unreasonable demands based on superior relationships with others are prohibited. The guidelines accompanying the ordinance provide specific examples of Kashara and points to consider when making decisions.