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Company manager arrested for trying to kiss job applicant during interview

55 Comments

A senior manager at a tile company in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture has been arrested on a sexual harassment charge after he tried to kiss a female applicant during a job interview in October.

According to police, Hidefumi Ihara, 42, forcefully threw his arms around a 30-year-old woman who had come to the office for an interview and started kissing her, NTV reported. The job had been advertised in a job information magazine.

Police quoted the woman as saying that Ihara "started making inappropriate comments" and then starting hugging her. Police said Ihara has denied acting inappropriately.

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55 Comments
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I guess she didn't get the job then.

1 ( +12 / -11 )

Does not like your average "shy" Japanese dude, more like do hentai??

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Let me guess, she didn't get the job either??

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Hidefumi Ihara, 42, forcefully threw his arms around a 30-year-old woman who had come to the office for an interview and started kissing her

Wow... They arrested the guy for that...? That's par for the course here in Japan as a JGuy.

She's definitively not getting that gig.

-11 ( +5 / -16 )

Actually, I didn't know that sexual harassment was an arrestable offence.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

sounds kinda strange,I am sure that aint the whole story

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Actually, I didn't know that sexual harassment was an arrestable offence.

It isn't. Assault is.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

What a goon! Sadly, I know he will not receive any real punishment for this. It is interesting that h e didn't claim to be drunk.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Maybe he'll claim this is some sort of behavioral interview question.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

must be pretty hot lady...

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

New hires have to do a lot of kissing, only not on the lips.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

He won't be punished even remotely for this, she won't get the job, and nothing will change. I have a few female friends who have gone through this -- a job interview with a two or three or even single male interviewee. One almost immediately asked what color panties she was wearing, and when she could barely speak out of shock the guy then clearly went on to say: "We decide who to hire here, Ms. If you don't answer our questions how do you possibly expect to get a job?" Anyway, she walked out without answering, but in tears -- she had all the qualifications for the job and had worked hard to choose a place she wanted to work and get an interview. That's but one example, like I said I know other women who've gone through this and actually been assaulted.

IDEALLY the guy has to admit it and is sacked, with companies promising to look into such practices more, but even then it would all be a farce.

16 ( +19 / -3 )

He should have concentrated on laying tiles.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

.....a job interview with a two or three or even single male interviewee. One almost immediately asked what color panties she was wearing, and when she could barely speak out of shock the guy then clearly went on to say: "We decide who to hire here, Ms. If you don't answer our questions how do you possibly expect to get a job?" Anyway, she walked out without answering, but in tears -- she had all the qualifications for the job and had worked hard to choose a place she wanted to work and get an interview.

What kind of job she would get after interview of that bunch of idiots, I wonder?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Some of these guys need to learn that life is not a porno film. 2 words guys: impulse control.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Is this news?

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Dont always take women side? How about if she is not telling whole story?

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Perhaps the idiot was drunk. Christ men, keep it in your pants and leave people alone!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

This wasnt harrassment it was ASSAULT!

This country desparately needs to GROW UP with regards to how it treats women here, this crap is NOT rare, once hired there is more sometimes a lot more to come. Anyone who has attended after work drinking parties has surely heard & seen things that would be automatic firing in most situations!

Sadly its a she said he said, hopefully she has some proof & can nail the guy!

12 ( +15 / -3 )

This guy put the H in HR!

8 ( +8 / -0 )

i know how the company manager interviewing the applicant, i dont believe on the woman story.

-11 ( +4 / -15 )

I have very little doubt that the woman is telling the truth, because this crap happens to women every day in Japan. Men, on the whole, treat women like absolute crap, like their purpose is an office ornament, a baby maker, or a tool for their sexual amusement. Women in the work places are rarely taken seriously, and there are enough perverts here where I am more than willing to believe nearly any claim a woman makes. This is a country where a woman being sexually harassed at work is NOT a minority situation.

Scumbag. Hope he gets put behind bars for sexual assault.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

She must be seductive and sexy looking..... Tsk...tsk...tsk... Japan is really full of perverts and maniacs. So what happened to the company manager? Was he put in jail? Is there a law in Japan about "SEKOHARA"

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

For those doubting the woman's story, think about this for a second: the interview was in October. It's been two months and during that time the police could have easily brushed it off as a boys-will-be-boys incident. But they didn't. And I doubt they take the woman seriously; this is, after all, Japan.

So either the police have more evidence, collaborating witnesses, or a video tape OR they're out to get the company (or the man) for an unrelated incident. The future might tell us the truth.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Well, if being sexually harassed is a regular part of the job, it's probably good to touchon the subject in the interview.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Sekohara?? No such thing !! It's SEKU Hara , SEKU is from SEX, get it Bahjista??

0 ( +4 / -4 )

my goodness. Well i am glad they are protecting the lady. that is good to hear.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Beast.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

technosphere: If she had been able to keep her wits about her, she could have immediately turned the tables on the men by stating that she would tell them if they answered the question first about theirs. Then report these jerks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I would like to know the whole story. There seems to be a few things missing to me.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If that "senior manager" did indeed behave as described, one can only wonder how the heck he came to that position, especially if his field of work is human resources.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

He could have waited after her is hired......................

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Borscht ,don't you mean 'corroborating' witnesses??

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Depends on the job. Kissing may be a prerequisite...................

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

In any case, if this happened here in Aust he would be charged with sexual assault and the company would be in spin control big time.

I do hope Japan gets with the times and does something about all forms of discrimination as well as such corporate behaviour...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

AustPaul,

Oh ho, yes, indeed. 'Corroborating' would be much better. Unless the man had an assistant?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

guys, lets not forget about the series of fake lawsuits women have almost won for claiming theyve been grabbed on the train when they haven't. Its merely he-say she-say. There are dispicable people out there who are willing to take advantage of the fact that the public will be more inclined to believe and sympathize with the women's side of the story. Then again, it could have actually happened. Just wait and see.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Yep, good point.

If there were no corroborating witnesses then it is a case of his word against hers...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Companies are only guilty if they handle this kind of thing badly.

"He tried to kiss me boo hoo, hoo.."

"Well, actually she offered to do me if I gave her the job. I said no way and she threw herself at me! I shoved her away and the she said she would take it to the police. I was literally crapping my pants...."

Whose word do you take?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Ah what a shame this happened in Japan. In the US this would of had lawyers & lawsuits swarming all over it like flies on poo.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To be presumed innocent until proven guilty...hope the police have lifted matching DNA from whatever part the man kissed ( "for trying to kiss" I expect to mean, the kiss landed on the cheek or chin) before going ahead to release his name to the press...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I have some stories of this kind of thing...worse, actually, from major companies in Japan. The shushoku guides should instruct all women to leave their iPhone voice recorders on in all interviews and with interactions with handlers at the majors. That would stop idiots like this guy from despicable, criminal behavior, and perhaps level the playing field for qualified women in Japan trying to get jobs.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Even if she is lying, and even if the story is not true, there are many stories about the same thing. After work drinking parties too. It is hard to believe a man would try to take his position as an advantage to molest a woman, but things like that happen all over the world, yet it seems to me the recurrence is just too much here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sounds kind of fishy to me, the job was posted in a work magazine and he only accosted this one woman ?? Surely if he was bold enough to do this with one person there must be other women the police could interview to see if this supposed incident holds up. If he was caught dead in his rights on this then I would not see him denying it and apologizing with some crazy explanation.

Sounds like a set up for compensation money.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

lol

0 ( +0 / -0 )

PICTURES PLEASE!!! I'd like to see how HOT this lady was to make this guy give up his career and landing him a harassment charge on his criminal record. Pretty strange for a dude just to go nuts and start kissing a girl for no apparent reason. But then again this is Japan so anything could happen. As a few people said here earlier this story is a little strange, more info into the story would be nice.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The problem I see with the manager is he conducted the interview alone. Best practices calls for more than one interviewer and both sexes to be represented on the interviewing team. That way it becomes much harder for these things to happen, no matter WHICH of these two is telling the truth.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Can we see the Job information add? maybe she read the add wrong something like personal "assistant" willing? :p

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Neversubmit - whether it's a serious offence depends, I think, on the nationality of alleged criminal and victim.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This should be all over the news! If this were to happen to my wife, I would be in jail because that company would be less one company manager! That was sexual assault and he should be in jail ... but it won't happen as mentioned here. Sick pervert! Kudos to the woman. She'll find another job.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What the shame it is. Now,I am scared of having interview to get job.I can’t believe what they did.He should be in the jail for long time. In this case,woman are unfair. She won’t be able to go to interview in the future.I hope that she will be fine soon and get better job.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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