50s Male Professor Asks Female Student "Let's Date"... 78 Japanese Professors Involved in Sexual Misconduct Scandal

It has been revealed that 78 university staff members at Japanese national and public universities were disciplined for sexual harassment and sexual assault over the past five years.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 2nd, a survey was conducted from the end of last year to February this year at 185 institutions, including 86 national universities and 99 public universities in Japan (response rate 87.6%). As a result, it was found that from 2017 to 2021, 78 associate professors and professors were disciplined for sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Most of the perpetrators were professors and associate professors in their 40s and 50s. 80% of the victims were students. The Yomiuri Shimbun pointed out, "Private universities are likely in a similar situation," and "The cases revealed at national and public universities this time are just the tip of the iceberg."

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the problem lies in the difficulty students face in opposing professors who can influence their future, such as thesis evaluations and employment.

Additionally, the Yomiuri Shimbun pointed out that university disciplinary actions still tend to be lenient.

According to a report by the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 2nd, from the end of last year to February this year, 185 institutions including 86 national universities and 99 public universities in Japan were surveyed (response rate 87.6%). As a result, it was revealed that 78 associate professors and professors were disciplined for sexual harassment and sexual assault between 2017 and 2021.
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Among the 78 disciplined for sexual harassment and sexual assault, 36 received suspensions, while only 4 were dismissed.

At the University of Tokyo, a male professor in his 50s changed the research schedule of a graduate student who rejected his advances, causing disadvantages, and forcibly touched her body.

However, the problematic professor only received a four-month suspension. A bigger issue is that even when disciplinary actions are taken, they are often not publicly disclosed.

In the Yomiuri Shimbun survey, 55.7% responded that "public disclosure is the principle" when disciplinary action for sexual harassment was taken, while 20.5% said "it is reviewed and decided on a case-by-case basis."

In November last year, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology notified national, public, and private universities to "strictly discipline, including dismissal, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and obscene acts." At the same time, it added a caveat to take sufficient care and consideration to prevent leakage of victims' private information.

Hiromichi Yoshitake, professor emeritus at Tsukuba University, said, "There are many cases where universities avoid public disclosure because they are concerned about their reputation and feel they must consider the victims," adding, "For universities to secure a learning environment where students can feel safe and to improve organizational health, it is desirable that universities make disciplinary matters public as a principle."

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