A new study conducted by a research team from the University of Tokyo has revealed that approximately 70% of women in the Japanese broadcast industry reported experiencing sexual jokes or harassment. The survey, which targeted workers in the sector, showed that around 40% of women also received propositions for sexual relationships. These findings highlight a troubling reality where awareness of harassment issues appears insufficiently shared across the industry, despite previous high-profile cases that have raised scrutiny regarding workplace rights and safety.

The investigation comes at a time when the Japanese broadcast sector is under intense examination due to incidents involving prominent figures, such as sexual misconduct associated with the late Johnny Kitagawa. In response to these concerns, various networks including Fuji TV have initiated third-party committees to address human rights issues, framing sexual violence and harassment as structural problems within the media and entertainment sectors. However, despite some companies conducting internal interviews to gauge workplace culture, comprehensive surveys addressing the industry as a whole had been lacking until now.

The University’s Professor Yoshiko Tanaka, alongside media critic Chiki Ogiue, spearheaded this survey project which gathered responses from 183 individuals with broadcasting experience, revealing widespread harassment issues. Key findings detail that while 70.6% of the surveyed women reported facing sexual remarks, only about 32.2% of men reported equivalent experiences, indicating a stark gender disparity in harassment occurrences. The survey emphasizes the urgent need for improved awareness and measures to combat harassment within the Japanese broadcast landscape.