Measures against customer harassment — abusive demands and insults from clients, known in Japan as kasuhara — became a legal obligation for companies and other organizations in October. The rules require employers to set a basic policy and establish a consultation desk, among other steps, under a framework the health ministry set out.
A 2023 survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare found about one in 10 workers had experienced customer harassment, with leave and resignations caused by it becoming more serious. The ministry's policy obliges companies to clarify how they handle such cases and to open a point of contact for staff.
In Miyazaki, a 30-minute ordeal and a demand for luxury goods
Comfort Diner, which runs seven izakaya and other outlets around Miyazaki's downtown, has dealt with a drunk customer who kept a server tied up for more than 30 minutes. Employees have also faced excessive demands over their mistakes.
“Compensating is a given, but we have been asked to buy things at luxury stores, or billed for cleaning costs far higher than necessary. When kasuhara happens, staff shrink back and it often leads to them quitting.”Ryoyo Takei, vice president of Comfort Diner
The company has drawn up a manual and made its officers and an affiliated insurer the contact point for complaints.
“The restaurant needs to take steps so mistakes don't happen, and I think we need to respond firmly in line with the law.”Ryoyo Takei, vice president of Comfort Diner
City hall staff who fear talking to residents
Local governments are covered too. A 2025 survey of about 2,800 Miyazaki city employees found 16.5% said they had suffered customer harassment. More than 150 of them said they had become afraid to talk to residents.
Miyazaki drew up a response manual in August 2025 and brought a harassment prevention ordinance into force in April 2026, obliging the mayor to act and putting a system in place to protect staff.
“Because we took measures, the awareness that one person doesn't handle it alone but the organization does has taken hold. First we protect the individual employee. By protecting staff, we want to keep administrative services running smoothly and keep resident services from declining.”Masahiro Saeki, chief specialist at Miyazaki city's general affairs and legal affairs division
The obligation to act carries no penalty for organizations that fail to comply, so the rules depend on employers choosing to follow them.