The Mie Prefectural Assembly on Friday enacted an ordinance imposing penalties for customer harassment, or nuisance behavior by customers toward employees, in the prefecture. The ordinance, which will take effect April 1 next year, was approved at a plenary assembly session. According to the prefectural government, it is the first ordinance in Japan to impose penalties for customer harassment.
Violators may face penalties including a fine of up to ¥500,000 ($3,110), detention or a petty fine. The ordinance will apply to all businesses and other entities in the prefecture, including sole proprietors, local governments and schools. They may report cases to the governor if customers demand apologies, face-to-face meetings, or money or goods, or stalk employees for an extended period without a legitimate reason.
The governor may issue a prohibition order if the conduct is deemed particularly egregious based on the opinions of an expert panel. Failure to comply with the order may lead to a criminal complaint being filed with investigative authorities. After the plenary session of the prefectural assembly, Mie Gov.
Katsuyuki Ichimi told reporters that the deterrent effect of the penalties would be “very significant” and expressed hope that customer harassment would be curbed in the prefecture.
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