As the Tokyo Metropolitan Government prepares to implement an ordinance against harassment by customers next month — the first of its kind in Japan — it has released guidelines on how various companies and organizations can incorporate the new rule into their daily operations. The national government is trailing right behind, having submitted to parliament last Tuesday a bill aimed at mandating that businesses take action.
The metropolitan government passed an ordinance last year that would protect workers from aggressive behaviors and unreasonable demands from customers. Known as kasuhara — a portmanteau of the English words “customer harassment” — in Japan, the issue has gained national attention in recent years.
Ahead of the ordinance’s implementation in April, Tokyo released guidelines in December that detail what would be considered such harassment, given the difficulty of pinning it down in everyday situations.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.