Japan mulls mandatory anti-harassment steps for job-hunting students

Another harassments that Japanese company usually do, is pressuring students who are doing job hunting to stop looking for a job, just to join particular company.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230414/p2a/00m/0na/025000c

A lot of sexual harassment is not obvious, like contacting someone younger or junior through social media.

A lot of sexual harassment is not obvious, like contacting someone younger or junior through social media.

Please. Contacting someone younger through social media is not even remotely sexual harassment.

A sad indictment of the culture still very apparent in Japan today!

Sadly sexual harassment is inadvertently given a pass by women as well as men, in Japan. I know from experience that women as well overlook cases of harassment by male coworkers because they dont want to "rock the boat".

The government must set down concrete guidelines but I find it hard to believe that they can.

Both my children faced multiple problems with my daughter having more inappropriate ones than my son.

Comments by both male and female interviewers about her breast size, with one female interviewers suggesting she look into breast reduction as her breast would be a "distraction".

But seeing Japan has a labour shortage perhaps the government should also look into the secret black list of companies that do not hire "hafu" or naturalised citizens or non Japanese.

Both my children studied at two different universities got the same list given verbally of well known companies they shouldn't bother applying to become they don't hire "Hafu" or non 100% ethnic Japanese. My daughter's friends one ethnic Chinese the other Brazilian ethnic Japanese both naturalised Japanese citizens were given the same list (verbally) at their university and trade school upon graduating.

Japanese corporations have some serious problems most coming from the old guard at the top who refuse to accept change especially in gender roles and ethnicity of employees and society in general.

Owzer, it very much depends on the content of the social media communication and what it leads to.

Please.

So many perverts and beasts in this country. It’s sad.

"Japan's labor ministry is considering making it mandatory for companies to take measures to prevent sexual harassment toward students searching for jobs, a source close to the matter said Tuesday."

Oh, phew! They're only considering it, not actually doing anything about it. Here I thought Japan was about to change before my eyes.

The fact that there isn't anything in place at the moment is pretty terrible. Not surprising though.

Kinda interesting that these companies probably tell all their clients how professional they are and yet sexual harrassment in interviews occurs. Tataemae

Comments by both male and female interviewers about her breast size, with one female interviewers suggesting she look into breast reduction as her breast would be a "distraction".

A woman openly body shaming another woman. All too easy to imagine in Japan. No wonder everyone in those "first day at work" photos on the first weekday in April looks identical.

Almost all Japanese universities are judged explicitly on the name values of the companies their alumni join. They are not in a position to cause any potential resentment from employers. The low birthrate means more university places going unfilled every year. Universities are not in a position where they can cross out any name value employer from the prospectus they post out to parents of increasingly fewer high school students every year.

The only sample they could find for this report is from Obayashi 5 years ago? It seems like there isn’t about the cause but bringing up a negative topic about a construction company in an effort to shame that it somehow.

リッチ

Today 01:32 pm JST

The only sample they could find for this report is from Obayashi 5 years ago? It seems like there isn’t about the cause but bringing up a negative topic about a construction company in an effort to shame that it somehow

No the reason is what I posted.

Even the government can only post what is either a convict or in this case actual charges being brought against someone.

They probably have hundreds of complaints, allegations, examples but to say them publicly or for the news to publish them even if true would open the publication and government to possible "defamation" charges as stated Under Article 230-1 of the Criminal Code of Japan.

I know it is a strange idea for those of us from western countries where stating facts isn't a crime or liable but this is Japan and that is the law.

This is why on so many of these articles many here keep asking, " why don't the name the company/companies?"

Well Article 230-1 of the Criminal Code of Japan is the reason.

Thank you Antiquesaving for your eyes opening information about why sexual harassment is not possibly hunted down and identified in the companies where it is a recurrent practice.

I found also this site very informative about defamation although it says one could name black companies because calling black is not very clear about its meaning.

https://monolith.law/en/internet/offense-of-contempt#:~:text=The%20penalties%20for%20the%20crime,to%20500%2C000%20yen.%E2%80%9D%20Although%20the

I understand it is Japanese law that scares them from even telling the truth of a scandal, at an individual level. Hence hardly little change because how does a lone student can fight back against the fame of a company.

Note the unbelievable impact that defamation in Japan has not the same meaning then than the English definition :

the action of damaging the reputation of a person or group by saying or writing bad things about them that are not true

Even if it is true, you could go to up to 3 years in prison !

Telling the truth in Japan is not allowed in many cases.

Sexual harassment is one of them until it falls officially and strictly under the tag "it's in the public interest" that only government can allow or not.

For persons not yet within the company in our case.

For those still not understanding why students don't come forward, why companies are not named, why this practice and others are still a problem, etc..

Remember the following from 2020.

Japan town’s sole female councillor ousted after accusing mayor of sexual assault

Shoko Arai was voted out of her seat after making allegations against mayor that most residents said damaged the town’s reputation

This is the result of what happened to an elected councilwoman, now imagine a young female student going up against a major corporation.

Imagine a school/university publicly naming these large corporations that discriminate!

As long as laws like Article 230-1 of the Criminal Code of Japan exist and even the government elected officials condone such behaviour, nothing is going to change.

I found also this site very informative about defamation although it says one could name black companies because calling black is not very clear about its meaning.

It also says that if the facts are in the public interest, and companies discriminating against many parts of it certainly is, it's not punishable.

"However, if the act involves facts related to the public interest and is intended for the public good, and if there is proof of its truth, then it is not punishable."

Hawk

Today 05:53 pm JST

I found also this site very informative about defamation although it says one could name black companies because calling black is not very clear about its meaning.

> It also says that if the facts are in the public interest, and companies discriminating against many parts of it certainly is, it's not punishable.

> "However, if the act involves facts related to the public interest and is intended for the public good, and if there is proof of its truth, then it is not punishable."

You willing to take that risk?

Easy to be brave and talk big when you are not the one taking the risk.

@Antiquesaving

You willing to take that risk?

Easy to be brave and talk big when you are not the one taking the risk.

Please show us, people who being brought to court because labeling a black company.

Usually they got that label after the fact emerge in public, such as their employee died because karoshi, unpaid salary, unpaid overtime, harassment.

AntiquesavingToday

For those still not understanding why students don't come forward, why companies are not named, why this practice and others are still a problem, etc..

However senior students and also career office usually have knowledge that being shared to students who are currently doing job hunting about list of companies that they should avoid.

Not only that they also have which company that prefer male recruit instead female, even when they don't publicized that fact. Also other preferential term.

.

Your children also already confirmed about this.

both my children studied at two different universities got the same list given verbally of well known companies they shouldn't bother applying to become they don't hire "Hafu" or non 100% ethnic Japanese.

@Antiquesaving

They probably have hundreds of complaints, allegations, examples but to say them publicly or for the news to publish them even if true would open the publication and government to possible "defamation" charges as stated Under Article 230-1 of the Criminal Code of Japan.

It depend, it really need to be based on on fact.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/06/07/national/media-national/chemical-manufacturer-kaneka-fire-paternity-harassment-allegations/

https://newsbook.com.mt/en/japan-parental-leave-case-puts-spotlight-on-workers-rights/

sakurasuki

Today 06:56 pm JST

AntiquesavingToday

> For those still not understanding why students don't come forward, why companies are not named, why this practice and others are still a problem, etc..

> However senior students and also career office usually have knowledge that being shared to students who are currently doing job hunting about list of companies that they should avoid.

> Not only that they also have which company that prefer male recruit instead female, even when they don't publicized that fact. Also other preferential term.

> .

> Your children also already confirmed about this.

> both my children studied at two different universities got the same list given verbally of well known companies they shouldn't bother applying to become they don't hire "Hafu" or non 100% ethnic Japanese

What you are saying is basically what I have but apparently @Hawk doesn't seem to believe.

He thinks these career office personnel are actually going to publicly name these companies.

Your comment is basically saying certain people already know and inform new graduates.