Photo/Illutration Sayuri Kojima, right, an assembly member from Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, celebrates a ruling protecting her transgender identity on June 25 outside the Nagoya District Court. (Akimitsu Ishigaki)

NAGOYA—A transgender politician from Aichi Prefecture has won a damages lawsuit for emotional distress after a fellow assembly member called her an “old guy” in front of coworkers.

In a ruling on June 25, the Nagoya District Court ordered a 54-year-old member of the Kasugai municipal assembly to pay 170,000 yen ($1,100) to Sayuri Kojima. She had sought 1.5 million yen in compensation.

By addressing harassment based on gender identity, the case highlights the legal recognition of ongoing challenges faced by transgender individuals in public life in Japan.

Kojima, 71, who was assigned male at birth but identifies as a woman, has legally changed her gender to female and has undergone gender-affirming surgery.

According to the lawsuit, the defendant made disparaging remarks about Kojima during a social gathering attended by assembly members in January 2024.

The man, who was serving as assembly chairman at the time, said to Kojima, “You’re just an old guy,” mocking her for once typing on a computer while having a toothpick in her mouth.

The man also claimed that other members of their assembly group shared the same view and that one of them strongly agreed with his remarks.

Kojima felt deeply insulted by these comments and betrayed by her colleagues.

The emotional impact led her to skip an official duty with her colleagues three days later.

Eventually, she left her assembly group.

Kojima also reported suffering from autonomic imbalance and insomnia as a result of stress, which affected her ability to perform her duties as an assembly member.

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