Johnny’s have had it coming for years – albeit somewhat belatedly.
I do take issue with the linked Guardian article, and also the allegation that “sexual harassment is rife in humdrum offices”. This was not my experience at all over a period of 20 years. What i did see were people generally working very well together with occasional friction, and no small number pairing up and settling down together. Female employees were adept at batting away unwanted attention – which was infrequent anyway, and went both ways. Behaviour on trains is a different matter altogether.
Westerners whining about the comparatively small numbers of women in managerial positions need to be aware that even a regular job demands huge levels of commitment and hours in the office in Japan. Many women I spoke to were not interested simply because they wanted a modicum of free time and some kind of family life.
Sayantani Gupta
5 months ago
I do find this article slightly baffling. Japan, like many non Western societies maybe Westernised but still many traits would be of maintaining more conservative codes.
Of course there could be many genuine cases of harassment of women at the workplace and rightly there should be mechanisms to air those instances and see that the victims get justice.
At the same time to expect a verbatim replication of a very West Coast of America movement maybe unrealistic.
MeToo has its grey areas too.
As a woman, I would think that women need to be honest , and see what was the nature of harassment.
If it was consensual, to suddenly complain about unwanted advances when those could have been resisted, is also being dishonest and playing victim.
Johnny’s have had it coming for years – albeit somewhat belatedly.
I do take issue with the linked Guardian article, and also the allegation that “sexual harassment is rife in humdrum offices”. This was not my experience at all over a period of 20 years. What i did see were people generally working very well together with occasional friction, and no small number pairing up and settling down together. Female employees were adept at batting away unwanted attention – which was infrequent anyway, and went both ways. Behaviour on trains is a different matter altogether.
Westerners whining about the comparatively small numbers of women in managerial positions need to be aware that even a regular job demands huge levels of commitment and hours in the office in Japan. Many women I spoke to were not interested simply because they wanted a modicum of free time and some kind of family life.
I do find this article slightly baffling. Japan, like many non Western societies maybe Westernised but still many traits would be of maintaining more conservative codes.
Of course there could be many genuine cases of harassment of women at the workplace and rightly there should be mechanisms to air those instances and see that the victims get justice.
At the same time to expect a verbatim replication of a very West Coast of America movement maybe unrealistic.
MeToo has its grey areas too.
As a woman, I would think that women need to be honest , and see what was the nature of harassment.
If it was consensual, to suddenly complain about unwanted advances when those could have been resisted, is also being dishonest and playing victim.