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Japan must boost protection for sexual harassment victims, says Noda

23 Comments
By Linda Sieg and Kiyoshi Takenaka

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South Korea have a robust and free press. Last President is in jail. Never happen in Japan. Because the government won't pass laws that threaten them or empower the population and as above there are no plans to criminalise sexual harassment. It took 100+years to increase the rape sentence and define rape. Might be a cultural thing but certainly not one to boast about.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Noda stopped short of calling for sexual harassment to be made a crime, citing possible negative effects such as causing men to decline to talk to female reporters one-on-one. "I don't agree that we should start the debate assuming legal penalties (are needed)," said Noda, adding that men in Japan had treated a serious problem lightly.

Then you are just all talk. You really don't give a damn about sexual harassment, here if you aren't willing to take it to the level of a crime, which it is!

Another thing, if you are so damn concerned about "protection" of women who are harassed just how in the hell do you expect anyone to take it seriously when there are no consequences?

You as a woman are a HUGE part of the problem!

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Japan is slowing catching up with the world standard. People here are traditionally weak to authorities and powers. Foreigners often say "Japanese do not stand up!"

"Slowly" You just have to be kidding! I have a snail in my backyard that moves faster than this country, on issues like this! By the time they get all caught up, it will be the next century!

The only way to truly catch up is to make issues like these crimes, and with punishments that mean something, not these slap on the wrist, chuckle, chuckle, dont get caught again!

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Japan ranked 114 among the 144 nations rated by the 2017 Global Gender Gap report of the World Economic Forum, flanked by Guinea and Ethiopia, and down 13 places since Abe took power.

Well that's another fail. So a female politician doesn't think a punishment is warranted for sexual harassment.

Noda, who recalled being sexually harassed herself when a young politician, said she wanted to announce steps to fill gaps in how Japan tackles the issue before parliament's session ends in June. But just talk. Even having been herself suffered seems to think that's OK.

"Comments like, 'If you want a vote, let me touch your breasts,' were a daily occurrence at that time," she said.

Minister Aso is not a bad person, but he is from a generation that was not educated about sexual harassment and unlike our generation, he didn't need to be very aware of sexual harassment," said Noda, 57.

Also is just not educated, I would challenge any notion that "he is not a bad person" historical evidence has him constantly proving he actually is a bad person.

what a hopeless group of politicians. Totally and purposely disenfranchised from the general population.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Not only are a certain generation of Japanese men hostile to women but it sometimes appears the country is a magnet to wrong 'uns who come here thinking that Japanese women are "easy" and "exotic".

This kind of malarkey won't change until more people (women and men) speak up against it. Of course some will vilify the agents of change but really, what is the alternative?

The patriarchy needs dismantling. Sexual harassment must be tackled - we can all play a part in change.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Given that Japan is the most patriarchal society in the developed world and the elderly men who control it regard women as little more than baby machines for the Emperor, it seems harsh to criticize Ms. Noda. But she is the same woman who complained to Duterte about the sex slave statue in Manila; she also seems to be yet another dynastic LDP politician as her grandfather was a Construction Minister. Construction Minister, nudge nudge, wink wink.

http://www.nydailynews.com/newswires/news/world/women-philippine-leader-sex-slave-statue-article-1.3750798

Noda stopped short of calling for sexual harassment to be made a crime, citing possible negative effects such as causing men to decline to talk to female reporters one-on-one.

Make it illegal. Do something about it properly, not just nice speeches and some hand-waving.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Hotel worker raped by an ex Idols son, no charges, Five university students one was actually a teacher pack raped a female, suspended sentence. Woman raped reports it to the Police has to reenact the crime with a dummy while being filmed by the Police. Who didn't do anything about the perpetrator. Another woman goes public about being raped and is vilified. Sexual harassment with no penalties nothing will change. Rape has little penalties so harassment will be shrugged off as boys being boys. Even by a female politician.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Noda stopped short of calling for sexual harassment to be made a crime, citing possible negative effects such as causing men to decline to talk to female reporters one-on-one.

A case of women dragging down other women. What a shameful hypocrite this Noda is. Is this the same person who just won't admit that women were sexually exploited by Japn during the second world war?

Minister Aso is not a bad person

Christ. Eyes rolling. No, of course not. He's just someone who can't decide whether he wants to put his left foot or right foot in his mouth, thinks old people are better off dead, spends half the time asleep in the diet, is not willing to understand how the average person copes financially, admires the Nazis and just won't make way for younger politicians.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Last night, I saw one secretary at a nijikai table in a bar surrounded by ten raucous salarymen.

I can only imagine what she puts up with in her job.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

tinawatanabe - could you give a link for that?

This is the most recent press freedom ranking I could find, which puts SK in 43rd, Japan in 67th and China in 176th, five places from bottom.

https://rsf.org/en/ranking

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Any new laws concerning this topic will see nothing change.

This is a huge social problem in Japanese in society. It is ramped.

Only when the majority of Japanese women change their atitude about reporting attacks will the discrimination ease. Supervisor all over Japan use these blackmailing tactics to gain sexual acts. It is as common as going to the shops.

I have work all over Japan and have taken notice how in- grain it is in the manufacturing and hospitality industries.

Each time I enter a onsen, any Japanese men that exit when I enter the water are discriminative and I wonder if these are the faceless man who would be low enough to participate in blackmail for sex.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

HOW Seiko Noda can provide relief and protection to women in Japan if sexual harassment is not made a criminal offence and stringent penalties are prescribed for it by law.?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Obedience has been virtue for long in Japan's group oriented society particularly for women. Our nature cannot be changed overnight.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

If it became illegal, the Japanese govt would collapse.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Japan is slowing catching up with the world standard. People here are traditionally weak to authorities and powers. Foreigners often say "Japanese do not stand up!"

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Change the law or its just empty words as ever.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

They need to stop that stupid nonsense crazy JAV industry first..then they can talk about protecting women.. Such women downgrading nation..

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Noakes: yet another dynastic LDP politician - imo Japan would be better off when women / girls can focus on their studies / careers vs having to tolerate such disrespectful behavior by men - Noda is not helping.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japanese media must begin widely publicizing sexual crimes.

International media must do the same to alert foreign visitors and residents about the situation in Japan.

Japanese parents and schools must educate students from a young age about the rights of females.

Establishing a publicly accessible database of sex offender would be good.

Anti 'chickan' associations in Japan report that schoolgirls wearing 'Stop-Chikan' badges were not groped.

Might be good to try the same tactic with adult ladies have them wear Stop Sexual Harassment badges.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Lack of moral senses/ not-adapting trend time/ oblivious symptom/ social ignorance; all of those are mental problems when getting too old. Making laws of sexual harassment is probably an extreme resolution. Japan needs more professionals of specialized field for psychologists and psychiatrists I don't know well if they are existing in this Japanese society. Another thing I feel is that education in schools should focus social morality than indoctrinate nationalism of social discipline. Well, only my opinion.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

This is the most recent press freedom ranking I could find, which puts SK in 43rd, Japan in 67th and China in 176th, five places from bottom.

Even with the ranking, Japan is lower than SK in press freedom.  SK is a country who arrested a Japanese journalist for a long time and criminally tried who only wrote about the whereabout of President Park in Japanese language toward Japanese audience. 

All Japanese news media are busy criticizing and lying about Abe, but nobody ever arrested for that.

-10 ( +0 / -10 )

Overblown smoke to start a fire where there is nothing by a bunch of troublemakers. There is no society issue regarding this topic worthy of it being news.

-13 ( +5 / -18 )

Japan ranked 114 among the 144 nations rated by the 2017 Global Gender Gap report of the World Economic Forum, flanked by Guinea and Ethiopia, and down 13 places since Abe took power.

The ranking was based on the West value.   Japan was also ranked lower than China or SK by the West about freedom of expression.   So, you can tell the intention of anti-Japan rankings.

-16 ( +0 / -16 )

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