News Navigator: What is ‘customer harassment’ and how is Japan dealing with it?

The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the phenomenon of so-called “customer harassment.”

Question: What kind of things constitute customer harassment?

Answer: The term refers to violence, verbal abuse, unreasonable demands and other very troubling episodes experienced by staff from customers and others. Prefectural-level governments of Tokyo, Hokkaido and elsewhere launched moves this year to enact preventive regulations, expected to be symbolic measures with no legal penalties.

Q: When did this issue start gaining attention?

A: It started with a 2017 survey by the UA Zensen, Japan’s largest industrial union. About 70% of the over 50,000 respondents said they have experienced harassment, such as verbal abuse, repeated complaints, being held up for long periods of time and even being asked to crouch down on all fours in apology. Some of the comments in the survey’s free writing section included, “Someone grabbed me by the collar and threatened to kill me,” and, “After a customer threw their change at me at the register, I apologized while crying and picking it up.” Another survey was conducted in 2020 and found that males are the perpetrators 75% of the time, with 90% thought to be in their 40s and above.

Q: How has the issue been progressing lately?

A: According to a 2022 survey by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC), commonly known as RENGO, around 40% of respondents said the number of customer harassment cases has risen over the last five years. Among the victims, 76% said that the experience changed their lifestyle, with effects on physical and mental health, trouble falling asleep and other issues.

Q: That sounds serious, doesn’t it?

A: The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2020 stated that companies should establish guidelines and take measures to prevent customer harassment. In 2022, a manual was created for businesses which included countermeasures such as, “Supervisors should deal with the situation in place of employees to protect their safety,” and, “Depending on the situation, communicate with a lawyer or the police.” The criteria for recognizing the development of depression and other illnesses as workplace-related accidents was revised in 2023 to take customer harassment into consideration.

(Japanese original by Haruna Okuyama, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)