Written by Lindsay Wong and edited by Jemima Yoon
In the latter half of the 2010s, the #MeToo movement was a global phenomenon against sexual abuse that encouraged women who had been sexually harassed to publicly share their stories. The purpose of the movement was to empower women to come together in solidarity and demonstrate strength through numbers. In Asia, the cultural context meant that the reactions of the public and from the government differed from those in the West. In Japan, the movement later evolved into the #WeToo movement, which allowed women to contribute to the movement without speaking about their own experiences due to the victim-blaming culture there. Though the #MeToo movement gained some traction in Japan, the stigma, shame and ostracization linked to sexual assault has made it extremely difficult for women to come forward with their stories.
The #MeToo movement in Japan was ignited by Shiori Ito, a Japanese journalist and filmmaker, when she spoke up about the sexual assault she experienced. Ito was sexually assaulted by Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a TV reporter and bureau chief. There was enough evidence to arrest him, but it was soon called off because Yamaguchi was a close friend of the former Prime Minister Abe. However, Ito eventually won the rape lawsuit damages two years later, in December 2019. Another sexual assault allegation led to the resignation of Junichi Fukuda, the top bureaucrat in Japan’s finance ministry. After being accused of sexually harassing a female journalist, Fukuda resigned, but still denied all allegations made against him. Japanese model KaoRi also accused a renowned photographer for exploiting her, though he has not responded to any of her allegations. With minimal media coverage and public support, these cases demonstrate that women suffer silently at the hands of powerful men.
Sexual assault is widespread in the workplace and, in a country that frequently shames the victims instead of helping and supporting them, women are at huge risk of exploitation. In the Japanese workplace culture, it is normal to drink and have a meal with colleagues after work as this allows them to get closer to each other and develop formidable relationships. Unfortunately, in these scenarios, women become more vulnerable to men’s sexual advances, especially when there is alcohol involved. If women do not agree with their male colleagues, it will reflect badly on them. This culture of conforming to pressure from superiors and other colleagues puts women in a tough position, and the burden of sexual harassment experiences falls on the women who have already suffered a lot. For instance, in Ito’s case, the conservative women of the country’s leading Liberal Democratic Party blamed Ito for “seducing” Yamaguchi and bringing on the situation to herself. This backlash discourages women from speaking out because of the shame and ostracization that comes with being open about sexual assault. It is incredibly difficult to change this kind of culture, especially since it is already so deeply ingrained in society. Furthermore, laws against sexual exploitation in Japan are severely lagging behind compared to other developed countries.
That’s why the #WeToo movement evolved — it served, and continues to serve, as a way for women to get involved with the movement without having to speak out against their experiences. College student Monica Fukuhara coined the term after her manager simply dismissed her experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace. As a result, Monica felt helpless, angry, and, eventually, ashamed. She decided to launch the #WeToo campaign as a way to develop widespread support without any risk of shame. The movement prompted a few protests outside the Japanese parliament building to protest against sexual violence with at least 2000 attendees. Despite the movement being relatively small, it is still a vocal movement that shows greater solidarity.
While the situation surrounding sexual harassment in the workplace remains largely unchanged due to the nature of Japan’s patriarchal society, the #MeToo and #WeToo movements have been successfully raising awareness about the issue. Victims at least know that they are not alone in their struggle and there are people who have gone through similar experiences. In order for the situation to improve, however, Japanese society needs to start focusing on the victim, and lawmakers need to enact policies that protect women in the workplace.
Sources
Cover Photo sourced from Bloomberg via Getty Images
1. Caputo, I. (2018). In Japan, sexual harassment isn’t a crime. Women who say #MeToo are targets.. The World. Retrieved 20 October 2020, from https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-11-08/japan-sexual-harassment-isn-t-crime-women-who-say-metoo-are-targets.
2. Kato, Y. (2020). #MeToo Japan: What happened when women broke their silence. BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43721227.
3. McCurry, J. (2019). Shiori Ito, symbol of Japan's MeToo movement, wins rape lawsuit damages. The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/18/shiori-ito-symbol-of-japans-metoo-movement-wins-lawsuit-damages.
4. Mori, K., & Oda, S. (2018). Me Too becomes We Too in victim-blaming Japan. The Japan Times. Retrieved 20 October 2020, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/05/15/national/social-issues/becomes-victim-blaming-japan/#.WzwhmdL7SUk.
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