Workplace Harassment in Japan: Evidence, Reporting, and Legal Options

All Japanese companies must prevent harassment since April 2022. How to gather evidence, report internally, escalate to the labor bureau, and protect yourself.

Bottom line: Since April 2022, all companies in Japan must have harassment prevention measures — including a reporting channel, investigation process, and anti-retaliation protection. If your company ignores your complaint, you can escalate to the Labor Bureau for free mediation. The key is evidence: start documenting NOW.

Information current as of March 2026 based on the Labor Policy Comprehensive Promotion Act (パワハラ防止法) and Equal Employment Opportunity Act. New: customer harassment prevention becomes mandatory October 2026. For a full overview of your rights, see our guide to foreign workers' rights.

What counts as harassment under Japanese law

Power harassment (パワハラ) — all 3 criteria must be met

Conduct based on a superior position in the workplace (boss, senior colleague, client with leverage)
Behavior exceeding the necessary and reasonable scope of business
Behavior that deteriorates the working environment

The 6 types recognized by MHLW

Type	Examples
Physical abuse (身体的な攻撃)	Hitting, kicking, throwing objects at you
Psychological abuse (精神的な攻撃)	Yelling, insults, threats, calling you names in front of others
Social isolation (人間関係からの切り離し)	Being ignored, excluded from meetings, moved to a separate desk
Excessive demands (過大な要求)	Impossible deadlines, tasks far outside your role, unreasonable quotas
Insufficient assignments (過小な要求)	Given no work, pointless tasks far below your ability as punishment
Privacy invasion (個の侵害)	Asking about your religion, sexuality, visa status in front of others. Outing (アウティング) is specifically included.

Sexual harassment (セクハラ)

Two types under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act:

Quid pro quo (対価型): "Do this or lose your promotion/job"
Hostile environment (環境型): Unwanted sexual comments, touching, displaying sexual material that makes the workplace hostile

How to gather evidence

Evidence makes or breaks your case. Start collecting before you formally complain.

What to document

Evidence type	How to collect	Why it matters
Harassment log	Write date, time, location, what was said/done, who was present — same day, every time	Pattern evidence is powerful. One incident can be dismissed; a log of 20 cannot.
Messages/emails	Screenshot LINE, Slack, email. Save to personal device.	Written evidence is strongest.
Audio recordings	Record conversations on your phone. One-party consent recording is legal in Japan — you don't need the other person's permission.	Captures tone, threats, and exact words.
Witness notes	Ask colleagues if they saw/heard anything. Note their names (they may testify later).	Corroborating testimony strengthens your claim.
Medical records	If harassment caused mental or physical health issues, see a doctor and get a diagnosis (診断書 / shindan sho).	Connects the harassment to harm — relevant for compensation claims.

Recording tip: Use your phone's voice recorder during meetings or interactions where harassment occurs. Japanese courts generally accept one-party consent recordings as evidence. Keep the recordings backed up in a personal cloud account your employer cannot access.

Step 1: Report internally (社内相談窓口)

Since April 2022, all companies must have a harassment consultation channel (相談窓口 / soudan madoguchi). This is legally required — if your company doesn't have one, that itself is a violation.

Ask your HR department: ハラスメントの相談窓口はどこですか？ (Harasumento no soudan madoguchi wa doko desu ka?) — Where is the harassment consultation window?

When you report, provide:

Specific incidents with dates and details
Names of the harasser(s) and witnesses
Copies of your evidence (keep originals)
What outcome you're seeking (investigation, transfer, apology, etc.)

Anti-retaliation protection: Your employer cannot demote, transfer, reduce pay, or fire you for reporting harassment. This is explicitly prohibited by law. If they retaliate, that's a separate violation you can escalate.

Step 2: Escalate externally if the company does nothing

If your company ignores your complaint, conducts a sham investigation, or retaliates — escalate outside:

Labor Bureau mediation (あっせん)

Where: Prefectural Labor Bureau (都道府県労働局)
Cost: Free
Process: A neutral mediator facilitates a settlement between you and your employer
Languages: Japanese (bring support or use the MHLW multilingual hotline first)

Labor Standards Office (労基署)

For violations of working conditions (overwork, unpaid overtime tied to harassment)
See our guide to filing a complaint at the labor office

Police

For physical assault, threats of violence, or sexual assault
File a 被害届 (higai todoke — victim report) at your local police station

If navigating these Japanese-only channels — writing formal complaints, attending mediation hearings, communicating with the labor bureau — feels impossible without Japanese, that's exactly why I built LO-PAL. Post your question for free and a local helper can call the labor bureau, translate your complaint, or accompany you to mediation.

Special concerns for foreign workers

"If I complain, they'll cancel my visa": Your employer cannot cancel your visa — only immigration can. Reporting harassment does not affect your visa status. If your employer threatens your visa, that itself is illegal coercion.
Language-based harassment: Being mocked for your Japanese, excluded from meetings held deliberately in Japanese you can't follow, or having important information withheld because "you won't understand" can constitute power harassment if it deteriorates your working environment.
Cultural confusion: "My boss yells at everyone, not just me" — the frequency and severity still matter. Universal bad behavior doesn't make it legal.

Coming October 2026: customer harassment protection

A June 2025 amendment requires all employers to implement customer harassment (カスタマーハラスメント / カスハラ) prevention measures from October 1, 2026. This means if customers abuse you, your employer must have a system to protect you — including the right to refuse service to abusive customers.

Get Help Documenting and Reporting Harassment

Writing a formal harassment complaint in Japanese, attending labor bureau mediation, or even finding the right consultation window at your company — it all requires Japanese. Post your task on LO-PAL for free: a local helper can help you draft complaints, translate your evidence log, and accompany you to meetings. You only pay when you accept task help.