Japan has seen an uptick in whistleblowers alleging unacceptable behavior by senior local government officials, particularly sexual harassment and a form of bullying known in Japan as power harassment.

However, more support and protections are needed for those who come forward because it can still cost them their job, if not their lives. 

A whistleblower who accused Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito of bullying and accepting bribes was found dead in July, apparently from suicide. The man had been suspended from his job in retaliation for speaking up.

The man worked for the prefectural government. In March, he contacted the media with allegations against Saito. The following month he reported them formally using the prefecture’s internal hotline.

Saito rejected the allegations as unfounded. He identified the whistleblower and suspended him for three months, even though investigations into Saito’s alleged misconduct had begun and were incomplete.

The allegations against the governor are currently under investigation by the prefectural assembly.

SUCCESSES SEEN ELSEWHERE

In separate cases this spring, three local leaders resigned after being accused of sexual harassment and bullying their subordinates.

Third-party investigative committees upheld allegations against Ginan Mayor Hideo Kojima and Ikeda Mayor Kazuo Okazaki, both from Gifu Prefecture, and Mayor Kenji Imata of Togo, Aichi Prefecture.

In June, the municipal assembly of Miyawaka, Fukuoka Prefecture, acknowledged bullying by Mayor Hidetoshi Shiokawa.

Such cases show the importance of having the means to curb officials on a power trip, according to one individual who has pioneered anti-harassment measures.

“These (cases) can happen to any local government,” said Takashi Sasaki, a member of the assembly in Komae, in the western suburbs of Tokyo.

In 2018, Sasaki played a leading role in enacting the nation’s first ordinance against harassment and other abuses by mayors and assembly members.

The move was prompted by accusations of sexual harassment by the city’s mayor, who admitted his guilt and resigned.

Sasaki said it is crucial to show that everyone, including politicians, can be held accountable for abuse.

However, only 3 percent of Japan’s approximately 1,800 local governments have anti-harassment ordinances in place, according to a recent survey by the Research Institute for Local Government.

As of July 24, this number equates to just 57 governments with laws covering harassment by heads of government or elected representatives.

But some activists say penalties should be accompanied by other measures to discourage abuse in the first place.

Kaname Murasaki from the worker advocacy group Japan Harassment Association says ordnances should be accompanied by setting up hotlines and providing regular training and education programs.

RETRIBUTION FEARED

The recent scandals share a common pattern: abuse left unchecked by staff fearful of retaliation from their leader, who controls job assignments and budgets.

Okazaki of Ikeda resigned in April after at least 15 cases of sexual harassment came to light, dating from the two decades he was in office.

But his exit was accompanied by a dozen subordinates who feared ostracism after being identified as the whistleblowers.

“I was prepared to risk my job,” one woman said. She and 11 colleagues resigned last March after speaking out against the mayor, fearing social isolation at work and stigmatization within the small local community.

The Okazaki case underscored the reluctance of people close to the perpetrator to confront wrongdoing.

Katsuichi Ushijima, who served as deputy mayor under Okazaki, said although he had been unaware of the mayor’s abusive behavior, he probably would not have spoken out.

“Even if I had known, I wouldn't have had the courage to call him out,” Ushijima said. “I would have been afraid of being demoted.”

A former municipal employee said no one dared to oppose the mayor, who controlled posts and funding.

In the case of Togo, the municipality's system of checks and balances failed.

Imata subjected municipal workers to repeated verbal persecution. Referring to parental leave, he reportedly told someone he would kill them if they applied for it.

Numerous staff members complained about the mayor’s behavior, but senior town officials failed to support them and did not confront the mayor.

Yoshinori Kondo, Imata’s deputy mayor, admitted he avoided confronting the mayor for a simple reason: he thought it would make the behavior worse.

(This article was compiled from reports by staff writers Tomohide Yamada, Shun Noguchi, Maiko Ito and Yoshinobu Matsunaga.)