Tokyo to Create Japan's 1st Ordinance against "Customer Harassment"

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to create an ordinance to prevent "customer harassment," or excessive demands and disruptive behavior by customers against store and other workers, it was learned Tuesday.

The planned ordinance would be the first of its kind in Japan. It would clearly prohibit harassment by customers, but is not expected to impose penalties. Details will be worked out later.

Customer harassment is "becoming a serious problem at companies in Tokyo," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said in a policy speech at a meeting of the Tokyo metropolitan assembly on the day. "We need to draw up rules that are unique to Tokyo," she said.

To discuss the issue, the metropolitan government set up a panel of experts and working-level officials from economic organizations in October last year.

At a meeting earlier this month, the panel unanimously agreed that the metropolitan government should draw up an ordinance without penalties. It also recognized the need for each industry to draw up its own guidelines to ensure effectiveness.

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