Corporate Japan Under Fire: Human Rights Incidents Spark Global Concerns

Street, Japan, City image by Marcellinus Jerricho from pixabay, published on 6 May 2020.

Japan’s corporate sector is facing intense scrutiny following a UN report that exposes widespread human rights abuses, from workplace harassment to systemic discrimination. High-profile cases, including the Johnny & Associates abuse scandal and the JAFCO workplace harassment case, have ignited calls for stronger corporate accountability and government intervention.

According to their visit on 28 May 2024, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (hereinafter ‘UN WG’) published a report drafted from interviews and field surveys highlighting an urgent need to implement corporate policies aligning with international human rights standards. This report, published on 30 May 2024, highlighted systemic issues within corporate Japan on elements of gender-based harassment, exploitative working conditions, and discrimination against minorities. Following this, there is an urgent need for Japan to conform to international business norms and standards, such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Global, 2024). Under the previously mentioned United Nations Guiding Principles, three main pillars must be followed for a State to fulfil its duty of conforming to international practices. The first pillar pertains to a State’s obligation to protect human rights, followed by a corporate responsibility tasked with the same responsibility, in addition to the final pillar focusing on the access to remedy instances for human rights infringements (Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, 2011). 

In addition to the previous, in 2024, an incident occurred at the talent agency Johnny & Associates in which thousands of individuals filed claims for remuneration on exploitation and sexual assault incidents linked to the agency’s founder (Amnesty International, n.d.-a.). The company’s public apology was deemed insufficient by the UN WG, which criticised both the government’s and the company’s inadequate responses to the allegations. (Amnesty International, n.d.-a.) Another notable incident pertains to the JAFCO Group, a major venture capital firm of whom, in October 2024, reports emerged of multiple male employees sexually abusing a female contract worker. A situation that resulted in the victim experiencing reprisal in the form of a pay cut and eventually dismissal from her duties, even after the offenders were held accountable (Shimbun, n.d.-a.). This incident portrays, unfortunately, a customary situation within corporate Japan, as more than half of female entrepreneurs report experiences of workplace harassment within a year. 

The aforementioned portrays how there are systemic issues within corporate Japan that highlight the urgent need for governmental implementation of stronger regulations protecting the human rights of nationals.

Sources and Further Readings: 

Global, H. (2024a, June 26). [urgent statement] in light of the final report of the UN Working Group on business and human rights on its visit and investigation of japan, we once again call on the Japanese government and companies to act responsibly in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights. – human rights now global site. Human Rights Now Global Site – Human Rights Now (HRN) is an international human rights NGO based in Tokyo, Japan with UN special consultative status. https://hrn.or.jp/eng/news/2024/06/27/statement-on-wgbhr-japan-report/

Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d.). UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights . Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/big-issues/governing-business-human-rights/un-guiding-principles/ 

Amnesty International, ‘Human rights in Japan’ (n.d.-a). https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/east-asia/japan/report-japan/

Shimbun, A. (n.d.). Japan: Female contract employee alleges sexual violence by JAFCO Group Executive and claims unfair dismissal after reporting abuse. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/japan-female-contract-employee-alleges-sexual-violence-by-jafco-group-executive-and-claims-unfair-dismissal-after-reporting-abuse/