Photo/Illutration Norio Nagata, vice speaker of the municipal assembly of Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture, speaks to reporters on May 8 in front of his home in the city. (Tetsuo Teranishi)

MINOKAMO, Gifu Prefecture--The city government here has apologized for the sexually harassing behavior of the Minokamo municipal assembly’s vice speaker toward the daughter of an Australian mayor at a party last month.

Minokamo Mayor Hiroto Fujii has sent an apology email to Mathew Dickerson, mayor of sister-city Dubbo in Australia’s New South Wales, acknowledging the inappropriate actions of Vice Speaker Norio Nagata.

Minokamo officials held a welcome party on April 3 for Dickerson and his delegation.

At an afterparty event in a karaoke bar, Nagata, 71, danced as he sang “Johnny B. Goode” and another song in English, according to Nagata and the city assembly secretariat.

Intoxicated and unsteady on his feet, Nagata positioned the microphone inappropriately close to the lower body of Dickerson’s daughter while she was seated on a sofa.

Mayor Fujii was present at the afterparty but absent when Nagata’s questionable actions occurred.

“Who asked him to do something like that?” Fujii said at a news conference on May 8. “I find it extremely inappropriate.”

Fujii added that he has shown a video of the scene to a lawyer, who also concluded that it was an “inappropriate act.”

Nagata told The Asahi Shimbun on the same day: “I had absolutely no intention (of causing offense). I was just trying to lift the mood with my singing. I apologize if my actions caused any misunderstanding.”

However, he said he has no intention of resigning as an assembly member.

“It is my duty to promote international exchanges,” Nagata said. “I apologize for my actions, but I believe it is my mission to fulfill my duty.”

Nagata was first elected to the city assembly in 2018 and is currently serving his second term.

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