Tokyo, Japan, has declared war against powerlessness. According to local media including NHK on Tuesday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Council recently enacted the so-called “Kashara Prevention Ordinance,” which states that no one should cause inconvenience to employees anywhere. “Kashara” is a combination of Japanese notation for “customer” and “harassment,” which means customer and harassment, respectively, in English. It refers to the so-called “gapjil” act in which a customer who visits a store, such as a restaurant, puts pressure on a clerk. The ordinance states that “all customers should pay attention to their words and actions toward their employees.” The applicable targets are all Tokyo residents and visitors.
According to a survey conducted in March by the Japanese distribution and service labor union “UA Jensen,” nearly half of the industry workers were subjected to Kasuhara within the last two years, or 47%. The most common theory of specific behavior was verbal abuse and intimidation, and many of the victims received psychiatric treatment for lack of sleep. The Tokyo Shimbun recently reported that an employee of a construction company made an extreme choice after being stressed by repeated rebukes from customers.
Tokyo authorities said they will soon release guidelines to determine which actions are “gapjil” ahead of the enforcement of the ordinance in April next year. In addition, Mie, Saitama, Aichi Prefecture, and Hokkaido are discussing with local labor unions to enact related ordinances. The Labor Policy Council of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which is the national labor affairs department, also recently put the Kasuhara ban on legislation on the agenda.
In Japan, in recent years, local and central governments beyond companies have come together to eradicate power abuse. Bullying using status is a target for eradication, but some say that it causes all kinds of fatigue and reduces efficiency within the organization, just like excessive PC (political correctness) that faced headwinds in the United States. The alertness to “Hara” began in the 1980s when the concept of “sexual harassment,” which came from the United States, was called “Sekuhara,” and since then, new words such as power abuse and gender discrimination in the workplace have been created.
Contrary to the original purpose of Japan’s “Hara” fatigue, more and more people are pushing even everyday conversations to “Hara.” For example, when I praised my subordinate’s clothes at work, I was criticized for “Sekuhara,” and when I recommended him to “go home first” in consideration of his junior, he responded that “the words and actions of the boss Howahara can be felt as a power trip for his subordinates.” Nikkei Business and others said, “The types of ‘Hara’ in Japan have diversified to the extent that they have exceeded 80.” The psychological distance between members of society is becoming increasingly distant as there is an atmosphere that even if a compliment is given, the other person may be uncomfortable.”
SOPHIA KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
