Prosecutors across Japan to be surveyed for harassment

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The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office will conduct a harassment survey of prosecutors and other employees nationwide, following a sexual assault case involving a former head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office.

The supreme office issued related instructions to local prosecutor offices across the country last month and plans to compile a report by the end of fiscal 2026.

This was revealed by Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi at a news conference on Friday. "We are considering further concrete measures to improve the workplace environment," Hiraguchi said.

In the high-profile case, Kentaro Kitagawa, 66, is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a female subordinate prosecutor.

In March, the female prosecutor submitted a petition to the justice minister and the prosecutor-general, requesting the launch of an independent investigative panel and a harassment survey covering all employees at prosecutor offices.

However, she resigned at the end of April, suggesting that her petition was ignored.

On Friday, she issued a statement arguing that a harassment survey by the top prosecutor office is pointless and calling for a third-party committee to conduct a fair and neutral survey.

During the day's press conference, Hiraguchi noted that establishing a third-party committee could cause problems in terms of the independence of the judiciary, as Kitagawa's criminal trial is ongoing. "It requires extremely careful consideration," the minister said.