In recent days, several Japanese media reported that the use of the suffix “-chan” in the workplace had been considered sexual harassment by a Tokyo court. However, the case is much more complex than that headline. The verdict of Tokyo District Courtissued on October 23referred to a lawsuit for workplace harassment against an employee of Sagawa Expressbut the use of “-chan” was just one of several behaviors questioned.
The real context of the case
The complainant, a former employee in her 40s, accused an older co-worker of addressing her inappropriately, using the suffix “-chan” and expressions such as “you are pretty” either “You have a good figure.”. After suffering from depression, the woman resigned in 2021 and sued both the man and the company. Sagawa Express reached an out-of-court settlement for 700,000 yenbut the accused decided to face trial, and was finally sentenced to pay 220,000 yen in compensation.
What the court really said
The judge Shinji Tahara noted that the use of “-chan” was unnecessary in a work environment and that, considering the difference in age and gender between the two, it could be offensive. However, the court did not determine that the simple use of the suffix constitutes sexual harassmentbut rather that the set of attitudes—comments about appearance and excessively familiar treatment—made up an inappropriate pattern of behavior.
Beyond the headline
The viral interpretation of the ruling as a “-chan ban” oversimplified an issue that combines language, hierarchies and professional boundaries. In Japanese, “-chan” is used in affective or informal contexts—among friends, family, or when addressing children—and its use at work can be seen as too close if there is no mutual trust.
In other words, it is not the suffix that constitutes harassmentbut rather the fact of imposing unwanted familiarity or accompanying it with inappropriate comments. The case reminds us that respect in the workplace does not depend only on the language, but on the empathy and interpersonal boundaries.
Do you think the difference between closeness and respect should have more weight in how coworkers communicate in Japan?
