‘Pawahara’ Power Harassment in the Workplace: A Case Study of the Japanese Government's Approach

Abstract

This article examines the Japanese government’s measures to address the issue of power harassment in the workplace, using descriptive approach to analyze data from government-issued documents and media. The study found that the government primarily employs legislation to impose an obligation on employers to deal with the issue, with the strictest penalty being the public disclosure of non-compliant businesses. However, there are no direct penalties for perpetrators of power harassment. Instead, the government focuses on providing information and producing educational materials for organizations and individuals. Thus, Japan’s approach to addressing power harassment emphasizes education rather than punitive measures.