Japanese mayor resigns amidst scandal, Faces 99 sexual harassment allegations across municipality

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Mar 1, 2024, 5:54 PM IST

In a shocking display, a prominent mayor in Japan has resigned from office amidst a staggering 99 allegations of sexual harassment. The accusations, coming from various sources, have prompted widespread public outcry and calls for accountability. The mayor's decision to step down reflects the growing demand for transparency.

A Japanese mayor accused of 99 sexual harassment instances resigned from the mayoral duties of a town in Central Gifu region on Thursday. Though the #MeToo movement has been very slow in Japan but such high-profile cases have picked up momentum and are coming out more commonly than not.

Hideo Kojima addressed a press conference while announcing his resignation from the mayoral chair. The 74-year-old denied the accusations while crying in front of many cameras and reporters. An independent investigation was launched by a committee on the 99 sexual harassment cases.

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The committee’s report found Hideo Kojima guilty of several sexual harassment cases. In the report, the committee revealed that Hideo Kojima touched a colleague's breasts and butts. He is also said to have forcefully hugged many female employees in front of others which the former mayor denied in the press conference.

Kojima said, “I didn’t do it. The report lacks neutrality and I want them to investigate more carefully. The report also claimed that the 73-year-old opened his trousers showing his legs and gestured to his female employee to bend over.

No arrests have been made in the case so far as Hideo Kojima has asked for a thorough investigation by the independent committee. Despite rare cases of women coming out in the open and accusing of sexual harassment in Japan, the momentum of women going public with their #MeToo story has picked up motivating more such revelations.

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