Mie Prefecture adopts Japan's first law to fine abusive customers

Mie Prefecture's assembly voted to enact Japan's first ordinance that imposes penalties on customers who harass employees, with fines of up to 500,000 yen or possible penal detention. The rule, effective next April, categorises actions such as persistent demands for money, goods, apologies, meetings, shouting, false allegations, sexual impropriety and stalking as "customer harassment." A business must submit a request to the prefectural government, prompting an expert panel to evaluate evidence like video or audio recordings before the governor decides on a prohibition order.

If the order is breached, authorities will be notified for further investigation. Some assembly members warned that separating unreasonable complaints from legitimate ones could be challenging. The measure responds to growing reports of workers quitting or falling ill due to extreme customer behavior, and the prefecture plans to issue detailed guidelines and conduct public outreach.