April 1, 2021 - Revised Edition

Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan
Affiliated Schools
Harassment Prevention
Guidelines

Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools
Harassment Prevention Committee
1 Nishinokyo-Suzaku-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8520
Email: harass@st.ritsumei.ac.jp
Tel.: 075-813-8606
Website: http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/mng/gl/jinji/harass-eng/【Table of Contents】
Ⅰ Preventing Harassment－Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools strive to create a safe and welcoming
environment for study, teaching and learning, research or work, predicated on the principles ofrespecting all individuals and celebrating diversity－
1.
2.
3.

Purpose of These Guidelines ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 1
Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools’ General Stance and Resolve Regarding
Harassmentꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 1
Efforts Being Made by Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schoolsꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 1■ The Ritsumeikan Charter ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 1■ Action Guidelines for Faculty and Staff ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 2

4.
5.

Definitions Used in the Regulations (Excluding the Definition of Harassment) ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 2
Scope of Application of the Regulationsꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 3

Ⅱ Definition of Harassment
1.
2.

Introduction—Key Conceptsꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 3
Sexual Harassment ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 5■ Forced Consent Due to Power Imbalance or the Equivalent ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 6■ Sexual Harassment of Young Children and School-Age Students ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 6

3.
4.
5.

Academic Harassment ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 7
Power Harassment ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 8
Other Harassmentꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 9

Ⅲ Basic Attitude to Avoid Harassing Others
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

General ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 11
The Direct Impacts of Harassment on Others ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 12
Do Not Repeat the Same Speech and Behaviorꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 12
The Impacts of Harassment May Not Be Obvious ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 12
Harassment Can Occur After-Hours or Away From the Workplace/ Classroom ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 12■ Romantic Relationships Between Faculty Members and Students ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 13

Ⅳ What to Do if You Experience Harassment ―The Victim is Not Responsible — ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 13

Ⅴ Counseling Services and Complaint Procedures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Harassment Counseling ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 14
Complaint Procedures ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 14
Important Points Regarding Harassment Counseling and Complaints ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 16
Harassment Prevention Committee ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 18

Ⅵ Review and Revision of Guidelines ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 19

Appendix 1

Investigation Process (When Nominated by Complainant as ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 20
Preferred Response Option)

Appendix 2

Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Harassment ꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏꞏ 21

Ⅰ Preventing Harassment－Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools strive to create a safe and welcoming
environment for study, teaching and learning, research or work, predicated on the principles ofrespecting all individuals and honoring diversity－
1.

Purpose of These Guidelines
Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools (comprising of primary schools, junior high schools
and senior high schools operated by the Ritsumeikan Trust) are committed to the principles of respecting theindividual and honoring diversity as a way to ensure that students of all ages, from primary school to university
level, as well as faculty and staff, are provided with a safe and welcoming environment in which to study, teach,pursue research or work, in order to fully support the personal learning and growth of students, faculty and staff.
Harassment represents a major violation of human rights that fails to respect the principles of individuality anddiversity. Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools have put in place a range of programs andinitiatives designed to prevent harassment, as well as measures to be taken in response to a suspected incidence ofharassment.
These guidelines are designed to help prevent harassment by setting out definitions of what constitutes
harassment and describing procedures for dealing with a suspected incidence of harassment.

2.

Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools’ General Stance and Resolve Regarding
Harassment
As teaching and research institutions, Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools are required todemonstrate respect for, and are forbidden from committing any transgression of, fundamental human rights as
set out in the Constitution of Japan. This constitutes the general stance that informs our commitment to providing
a harassment-free environment for the pursuit of study, teaching and learning, research and administrative work at
Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools, predicated on the understanding and cooperation of
all students, faculty and staff.

3.

Efforts Being Made by Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools
The Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools Harassment Prevention Guidelines document(“the Guidelines,” this document) has been issued in conjunction with the Harassment Prevention Regulations for
Ritsumeikan University and Elementary Schools, Junior High Schools and Senior High Schools Operated by the
Ritsumeikan Trust (“the Regulations”) in order to provide a clear and simple explanation of the Regulations.
Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools have also put in place a range of programs andinitiatives designed to prevent harassment, including but not limited to training programs, in line with theprovisions of the Regulations and the Guidelines.
The Ritsumeikan Charter and Ritsumeikan University Action Guidelines for Faculty and Staff (see below) also
represent significant documents on prevention of harassment that explicitly set out our stance regarding respectfor human rights.
■ The Ritsumeikan Charter
The Ritsumeikan Charter was issued by Ritsumeikan Academy in 2006 as a statement of the basic principles ofthe organization. The Charter sets out our commitment to shaping the future of humankind by creating universal
values and finding solutions to the key issues for humankind, predicated on the principles of academic freedom.
To this end, the Charter stresses the importance of respecting the diversity of the many individuals present within
the Academy and looking beyond differences in ideology, faith, race, citizenship or origin in order to respect therights of one another. The Academy should be a place for personal growth and development and a place for the
pursuit of truth. As such, it is critically important for all of us to show respect for and enjoy freedom of interaction
with one another.
■ Action Guidelines for Faculty and Staff
The Action Guidelines were issued by Ritsumeikan University in 2010 to further promote the objectives of the
Ritsumeikan Charter. The preamble to the Action Guidelines calls on the faculty and staff of Ritsumeikan
University to conduct themselves “with the high ethical standards and public decency expected of individuals
engaged in education and research, and carry out their duties in an equitable, fair and honest manner. In addition,
the faculty and staff of Ritsumeikan affiliated schools are required to fulfill their duties in accordance with therelevant work regulations.” With regards to human rights, the Charter calls on faculty and staff to demonstrate
respect for the basic human rights of all individuals in the course of their duties, including individual character,value systems and privacy considerations; to refrain from any and all acts of violence or speech and/or behavior
that constitutes harassment or discrimination; and to take action to address any such act that may occur.

4.

Definitions Used in the Regulations (Excluding the Definition of Harassment)(1) Faculty and Staff (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 3)
The term “faculty and staff” refers to faculty members and administrative staff members at Ritsumeikan
University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools as well as administrative staff at the Ritsumeikan Trust. The
distinction between faculty members and staff members is described below.
① Faculty Members
The term “faculty members” encompasses all teaching staff employed directly by Ritsumeikan University
and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools in teaching roles, whether with or without fixed-term employment orwith limited-term employment, including specially appointed faculty members (tokumei kyoin), speciallyinvited faculty members (tokubetsu shohei kyoin), specially employed faculty (tokubetsu ninyo), extended
tenure faculty members, senior (sennin) lecturers, specially appointed assistant professors (tokunin jokyo),assistants, full-time lecturers, shokutaku lecturers and part-time lecturers (jugyo tanto koshi/hijokin koshi),
as well as visiting faculty members.
② Staff Members
The term “staff” refers to administrative personnel employed directly by Ritsumeikan University andRitsumeikan Affiliated Schools, either with no fixed employment term or under extended tenure, including
professional staff with specific duties (tokutei gyomu senmon shokuin), contract staff, assistants (jimu hojo
shokuin), senior researchers and research assistants, as well as personnel from temporary staffing agencies
and managers and coaches working on a contracted basis.
(2) Students (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 4)
The general term “students” encompasses undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Ritsumeikan
University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools as well as primary, junior high and high school students
enrolled at Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools. The more specific term “university students” refers to students at
tertiary level including non-degree students, auditing students, trainees, research students and special auditing
students.
(3) Guardians (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 5)
The term “guardian” includes parents and legal guardians of students as well as any person who pays thetuition for the student to attend school, or a person who is responsible for the student and their financial
situation.
(4) Relevant Parties (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 6)-5-

The term “relevant parties” refers to people who have a significant level of involvement with Ritsumeikan
University and/or Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools, but are not considered to be faculty, staff, students or
guardians as defined above. This includes, but is not limited to: visiting faculty members; employees ofcontractors that provide cleaning and security services to Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated
Schools; employees of Ritsumeikan University Co-operative; researchers with no employment relationship;
suppliers of equipment and consumables; equipment repair and maintenance personnel; and members ofalumni and graduates' associations.
(5) Supervisors (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 7)
The term “supervisors” encompasses college and graduate school deans, senior executive directors and acting
senior executive directors, school principals, managing directors (whether responsible for faculty members or
administrative staff), and deputy managing directors and administrative managers (excepting those on
extended tenure).
5.

Scope of Application of the Regulations
The Regulations apply in all cases where at least one party to harassment is a student or a member of the faculty
or staff member. Where the harassment has been perpetrated on a student or faculty or staff member by a person
who is not a student or faculty or staff member, an effort will be made to explain the Regulations and/or
Guidelines to the perpetrator and, contingent on their understanding, to report the situation to their employer ororganization and request that steps be taken to investigate and/or prevent the harassment behavior.

Ⅱ Definition of Harassment
1.

Introduction—Key Concepts
Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Regulations defines the three basic types of harassment—sexual harassment (Article
2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 1), academic harassment (Item 2) and power harassment (Item 3)—along with otherharassment (Item 4), which covers all other forms of harassment. While each of these four harassment categories
involves different assumptions and prerequisites, they share a common structure made up of the following
aspects.
The first step is to consider the problematic behavior with respect to (a) where it occurred (the education or
research setting) and (b) (c) the context in terms of the activities involved. The next step is to consider (d) the
specific speech or behavior exhibited by the perpetrator. Finally, we look at (e) the causal relationship between
the speech or behavior and (f) the resulting impact or damage sustained.
Note that the first three categories of harassment defined above (corresponding to Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Items
1 – 3) also provide for (g) mitigating or exceptional circumstances where harassment is not considered to be
applicable. In the event of circumstances as defined in (g), harassment is deemed not to have occurred even
where requirements (a) through (f) are satisfied.
The table below summarizes the above prerequisite conditions for harassment (a) through (f) along withexceptions (g).

Table 1. Harassment—Prerequisite Conditions and Exceptionsⓐⓓⓔ Type of
Teaching orⓑⓒ Context
Speech or
Research Setting
Behavior
Sexual Harassment
Ritsumeikan
All workplace
Sexual in nature(Article 2-1, Paragraph
University andactivities
Ritsumeikan
1, Item 1)-6-ⓕ Impact/Damageⓖ Mitigating or
Exceptional
Circumstances

Disadvantaged interms of treatment

Constitutes anappropriate

Affiliated
Schools

Academic Harassment(Article 2-1, Paragraph
1, Item 2)Power Harassment(Article 2-1, Paragraph
1, Item 3 (a) and (b))

Other Harassment(Article 2-1, Paragraph
1, Item 4)
Note: Forms ofharassment other than
the above

Ritsumeikan
University(a)Ritsumeikan
University andRitsumeikan
Affiliated
Schools(b)
Ritsumeikan
University

Ritsumeikan
University andRitsumeikan
Affiliated
Schools

Negative impact on
working environment

Education
and/or research

Based onposition ofsuperiority in
education or
research setting

Administrative
dutiesBased onposition ofsuperiority inworkplacesetting

Student
activities

Based onposition ofsuperiority instudent setting

All workplace
activities

Unwelcome orinappropriate

Disadvantaged interms ofeducation/research
work
Negative impact onlearning or research
environment
Disadvantaged interms of ability toperform work
Negative impact on
workplaceenvironment
Disadvantaged interms of student
activities
Negative impact on
student environment

exercise of
authority

Considerednecessary andproportionate to therelevant teaching or
research activity
Considerednecessary andproportionate to therelevant
administrative
dutiesConsiderednecessary andproportionate to therelevant student
activities

Disadvantaged interms of treatment
Negative impact on
immediateenvironment

Of the prerequisite conditions for harassment outlined above, (c) requires that the behavior alleged to beharassment has (b) a connection to the operations of Ritsumeikan University and/or Ritsumeikan Affiliated
Schools. Where the problematic behavior is a purely personal matter with no connection whatsoever to theoperations of Ritsumeikan University or Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools, it does not constitute harassment under
the Guidelines. If, however, a connection can be established (even where the problematic behavior is not directly
related to the operations of Ritsumeikan University and/or Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools per se) then this would
constitute harassment under the Guidelines. Thus, for example, not only could problematic behavior by a lecturer
towards a student in class be constituted as harassment, but behavior that takes place at a social gathering afterclass could constitute harassment.
In column (f), negative impact on the workplace environment or other setting refers to distress or discomfort
experienced as a result of specific speech or behavior (d), where such stress or discomfort represents a noticeable
or obvious impediment to the victim’s ability to continue with work, study or other activity (Regulations, Article2-2). For example, if a faculty member uses speech or behavior that causes discomfort to a student, to the point
where the student feels unable to continue attending lectures, this constitutes a negative impact. Another example
is a manager who uses speech or behavior that makes an employee uncomfortable to the point of being unable tocontinue working.
The criteria for determining what constitutes a negative impact is based on how most people would feel in thatsituation (except for power harassment, where such determination is made in accordance with the provisions of
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notice No. 5, 2020 (enforced June 1, 2020) Guidelines for HR Responseby an Employer in the event of Problematic Language or Behavior by a Person in a Position of Superiority in the
Workplace, Section 2 (6)). According to this, if an average person (student, employee or equivalent person within
the organization), where subjected to the problematic speech or behavior in equivalent circumstances, would benoticeably impeded in their ability to continue work or study, this is deemed to be a negative impact.

-7-

2.

Sexual Harassment(1) Definition of Sexual Harassment (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 1)
The Regulations define sexual harassment as “speech or behavior of a sexual nature…that leads to
disadvantageous treatment of another person, or negatively impacts the immediate environment of anotherperson, except where considered to be an appropriate exercise of authority.” Thus, any speech or behavior ofa sexual nature that leads to disadvantageous treatment of another or that has a negative impact on theimmediate environment will normally be considered to constitute sexual harassment.
Here, speech or behavior of a sexual nature refers to all forms of speech and behavior that can be seen as
pertaining to sex or gender. Thus, for example, speech or behavior aligned with fixed notions of the allocationof gender roles could be seen as sexual harassment.
It should be noted that “speech or behavior of a sexual nature that leads to disadvantageous treatment ofanother” is taken to include both direct cases, where the speech or behavior directly causes disadvantageous
treatment, and indirect cases, where the speech or behavior provokes a reaction that in turn results in
disadvantageous treatment. An example of a direct case is a male manager directing his female employee tomake the tea on the grounds that it’s “a job for a woman.” An indirect case would be a manager putting
undue pressure on an employee to date them and then, when rebuffed, retaliating by taking the employee off
an important project.
Note also that where speech or behavior of a sexual nature that leads to disadvantageous treatment of anotheror that has a negative impact on the immediate environment is deemed to be an appropriate exercise of
authority, this does not constitute sexual harassment. For example, suppose that a faculty member is
describing sexual violence against women as part of a class, and a student feels so uncomfortable that they do
not want to remain in the class. Provided that the class material has been chosen and presented in an
appropriate manner, this scenario would not be construed as sexual harassment. While a determination suchas this may be complex and difficult, the key issue is whether it represents an appropriate exercise of
authority.
(2) Types of Sexual Harassment
The non-exhaustive list below presents a number of common forms of sexual harassment.
① Unwanted Sexual Proposition or Bodily Contact
This includes persistent or coercive propositions pertaining to sexual activity, bodily contact deemed
unnecessary or without good reason, and stalking.
② Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
This is defined as a situation where a person is subject to speech or behavior of a sexual nature, reacts
negatively (with refusal or resistance), and is then subject to retaliation that results in disadvantageous
treatment. An example is a manager who unduly pressures a subordinate to date them and then, whenrebuffed, retaliates by taking the employee off an important project.
③ Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment
This refers to speech or behavior of a sexual nature that fosters a hostile environment in which anotherperson is noticeably impeded in their performance of education, research, study or work activities.
④ Speech and Behavior Intending to Discriminate on the Basis of GenderMore information about forms of speech and behavior that intentionally discriminate on the basis of genderis provided on p.24, Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Sexual Harassment.
(3) Sexual Harassment in the Context of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Diversity-8-Sexual harassment is not confined to members of the opposite sex; same-sex sexual harassment also exists.
This means that forms of stress or discomfort caused by sexual harassment (Regulations, Article 2-1,
Paragraph 2) can vary widely depending on a person’s sexual orientation1 or gender identity.2 (Article 2-3 ofthe Regulations addresses the issue of respect for diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity.)Thus, sexual harassment in the modern world can take myriad different forms with respect to both therelationship between the parties involved and the type of damage that results. (See also Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare Notice No. 615, 2012 (enforced June 1, 2020) Guidelines Concerning Measures to be
Taken by Employers in Terms of Employment Management with Regard to Problems Caused by Sexual
Harassment in the Workplace, Section 2 (1)).
In light of the above, it becomes obvious that sexual harassment can also be taken to include instances of
insulting language directed towards sexual minorities such as LGBTQ individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and questioning/queer) as well as overtly negative speech or actions regarding the character,
performance or behavior of a person on the basis of their membership in a sexual minority group.
Examples of sexual harassment towards sexual minorities can be found on p.22, Speech and Behavior
Against Sexual Minorities (LGBTQ).
１
２

Sexual Orientation: the gender or genders to which a person is sexually or emotionally attracted
Gender Identity: a person’s concept or sense of their own gender as male, female, or something else

■ Forced Consent Due to Power Imbalance or Equivalent Circumstances
Speech or behavior of a sexual nature that goes against the wishes of another person constitutes sexual
harassment. The hierarchical relationship between
faculty members and students in particular represents a major power imbalance, with faculty members in aposition of seniority and therefore superiority. Due to the power imbalance, a student who is subjected toproblematic speech or language by a faculty member is likely to simply accept or go along with it. In this
scenario, even where the student has technically not refused, they cannot be said to have given willing consent.

-9-■ Sexual Harassment of Young Children and School-Age Students
Sexual harassment of school-age and younger students is inexcusable. It can have a major impact on theirdignity and personal character; it can also affect their desire to engage in learning, with potentially severe
consequences for subsequent growth and development. Given that our schools exist and operate with theunderstanding and support of parents, guardians and local communities, an incidence of sexual harassment at aschool would significantly damage the reputation of the school and Ritsumeikan Academy as a whole,potentially threatening the future viability of the school.
Sexual harassment of a school-age or younger student may be punishable under the Penal Code, the Child
Welfare Act or local government ordinances (in Kyoto, the Ordinance on Healthy Youth Development),
depending on the nature of the harassment. An alleged perpetrator will be held criminally responsible and, if
found guilty of harassment, will be subject to proceedings under Work Regulations for Teaching Staff andOther Staff including disciplinary punishment (Article 60 onwards) and dismissal (Article 22).

(4) Gender Harassment
Gender harassment refers to sexual harassment in the form of speech and behavior motivated by fixed
stereotypes about the gender roles of men and women. Examples in a workplace environment would be always
getting a woman to make the tea or always getting a man to perform heavy lifting work, or being critical of
speech or behavior that is seen to deviate from stereotyped notions of masculinity and femininity. If we are toshow respect for diversity of ideas and value systems then we cannot allow this form of harassment.

(5) Sexual Harassment of Students Looking for Work
Students engaged in work experience, internship or equivalent programs in the private sector should not be
subjected to sexual harassment by other workers. The government has stipulated that company guidelines on
sexual harassment in the workplace should also extend to students present in the workplace. The government
also requires any complaint or inquiry from a student regarding sexual harassment to be dealt withappropriately in keeping with the company’s existing sexual harassment policies and procedures (Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare Notice No. 615, 2012 Guidelines Concerning Measures to be Taken by
Employers in terms of Employment Management with Regard to Problems Caused by Sexual Harassment in
the Workplace, Sections 4 and 7).
Any student who finds themselves subject to sexual harassment during a work experience or internshipassignment is advised to report it to the relevant department of the company. The university’s support service
may also step in where necessary to support students in consulting with the company.
3.

Academic Harassment(1) Definition of Academic Harassment (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 2)
Under the Regulations, academic harassment is defined as “speech or behavior by a person who enjoys aposition of superiority in the context of teaching or research work at Ritsumeikan University (excluding
speech or behavior of a sexual nature) that leads to disadvantageous treatment of another person in theirperformance of teaching or research work, or negatively impacts the learning or research environment ofanother person, except where deemed both necessary and reasonable for teaching or research purposes.”
It follows under this definition that speech or behavior deemed necessary and reasonable for teaching or
research purposes does not constitute academic harassment. For example, if a lecturer assigns a particularassignment to a particular group of students during a class then technically speaking, it could be argued thatthose students have been subjected to disadvantageous treatment in the context of the learning environment.
-10-But where the act of assigning that assignment to that group of students can be considered both necessary andreasonable for teaching purposes, it would not constitute academic harassment.
(2) Types of Academic Harassment
Common forms of academic harassment are described below.
1）Educational Harassment① Making scornful comments; shouting at someone in a loud voice; being excessively critical over an
extended period; making negative comments about individual character.
② Refusing to provide the required educational instruction without good reason③ Imposing excessive assignments④ Threatening or implying a threat to deliver an unreasonable assessment in relation to an academic degree,
unit or credit; dispensing unfair treatment in relation to an academic degree, unit or credit; or refusing torecognize an academic degree, unit or credit without good reason⑤ Obstructing or impeding a student’s freedom of preferred career or study trajectory2）Research Harassment① Obstructing or hindering research work, such as by refusing to allocate research topics, preventing accessto equipment or facilities, or unreasonably restricting access to opportunities to present research findings② Exploiting the work of a researcher, such as by unfairly appropriating their research findings, proposals orideas3）Other① Demanding to be invited into a particular academic society or other grouping② Asking a student to perform personal tasks or administrative work
③ Displaying coercive speech or behavior over an extended period with a significant negative impact on thelearning or research environment④ Violating privacy provisions, for example by eliciting personal information without good reason orreleasing personal information into the public domain without consent
4.

Power Harassment（1）Definition of Power Harassment (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 3)
The Regulations note that power harassment can occur in the workplace or in a student setting, and provides
separate definitions as follows.
①

Power Harassment in the Workplace (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 3 (a))“Speech or behavior (excluding speech or behavior of a sexual nature) from a person who enjoys aposition of superiority within the course of operations of Ritsumeikan University or a Ritsumeikan
Affiliated School that leads to disadvantageous treatment of another person in their workplace, or
negatively impacts the immediate workplace environment of another person, except where deemed bothnecessary and reasonable in the workplace context.”②

Power Harassment in a Student Setting (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 3 (b))“Speech or behavior (excluding speech or behavior of a sexual nature) from a person who enjoys aposition of superiority within a student setting at Ritsumeikan University that leads to disadvantageous-11-treatment of another person in their student setting, or negatively impacts the immediate environment ofanother person, except where deemed both necessary and reasonable in the context of student activities.”
The use of the term “superior position” in these definitions is not meant to imply that superiority based onrank, job description or seniority is problematic in and of itself. It is worth noting that superiority can also
be derived from a higher level of knowledge or technical prowess. Thus, speech or behavior by a highly
knowledgeable or technically capable employee towards their less credentialed manager could also
constitute speech or behavior that takes advantage of a superior position in certain situations.
Note that both definitions above are subject to the caveat that power harassment does not apply where thespeech or behavior is considered necessary and appropriate in workplace or student settings. Thus, forexample, a manager ordering a particular worker to perform a particular task could, technically speaking, beconstrued as the worker being subjected to disadvantageous treatment in the context of the workplaceenvironment, which corresponds to “power harassment in the workplace” as defined above. But if the act ofassigning that task to that worker is considered both reasonable and necessary to the operations of theorganization, it does not constitute power harassment.
(2) Types of Power Harassment
Common forms of power harassment are described below.
① Physical aggression (engaging in violence with potential to cause injury)② Psychological aggression (engaging in intimidation or verbal abuse)③ Separation from interpersonal relationships (isolating a person; excluding them from a group; refusing to
acknowledge their presence)④ Unreasonable demands (assigning tasks that are clearly unnecessary and/or impossible to achieve)⑤ Belittling demands (assigning menial tasks that have no discernible objective and/or are clearly well
below a person’s capabilities or experience, or refusing to assign tasks for no discernible reason)⑥ Infringing on personal matters (intruding to an excessive degree into the personal affairs of anotherperson)(3) Power Harassment in a Student Setting
Power harassment is not limited to employment settings; it can arise between students of Ritsumeikan
University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools in the course of normal day-to-day activities. This point isclearly articulated in Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 3 (b) of the Regulations. Examples of power harassment
at extracurricular activities include: junior students being expected to display unquestioning obedience toorders from senior students or risk exclusion from training; a senior student putting sustained and undue
pressure on a junior student to go out drinking together; and specific members of a club being subject todisadvantageous treatment.
Note that problematic speech or behavior by a member of faculty or staff towards a student would beclassified as academic harassment rather than power harassment. Since it takes place in a student setting, theproblematic speech or behavior is deemed to have come from a person “in a position of superiority withrespect to teaching.”
5.

Other Harassment(1) General
Because there are some types of harassment that do not fit the categories of sexual, academic or power
harassment, the Regulations provides for a fourth category of other harassment. Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item
4 defines other harassment as inappropriate speech or behavior occurring in the context of the activities or-12-operations of Ritsumeikan University and/or Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools that leads to disadvantageous
treatment of another person, or negatively impacts the immediate environment of another person.
Unlike the first three harassment categories, the definition of other harassment does not include a caveat thatallows for exceptions to the rule. Instead, the definition uses the term “inappropriate” to qualify the speech or
behavior. This means that the threshold for whether harassment has occurred rests on the interpretation ofwhat constitutes inappropriate speech or behavior.
The “other harassment” category is intended to capture egregious violations of human rights that do not fit
into any of the other three categories. At the same time, it is also designed to accommodate new and as yet
unknown forms of harassment that may arise in the future. Items (2) through (4) below describe fourcommon forms of harassment that are classified as other harassment at the present point in time.
(2) Harassment in Connection with Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childcare Leave
1) General
Inappropriate speech or behavior in regards to pregnancy, childbirth and/or childcare leave that leads to
disadvantageous treatment of another person or negatively impacts the workplace environment of anotherperson constitutes harassment. (Note that under the Act on Securing, Etc. of Equal Opportunity andTreatment between Men and Women in Employment Article 11-3 and the Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver
Leave, and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members Article
25, the employer must take all necessary steps to ensure that such speech and/or behavior does not negatively
impact on the immediate workplace environment of the employee.) In the same way, inappropriate speech or
behavior in regards to pregnancy or childbirth that subjects a student to disadvantageous treatment or that has
a negative impact on their learning environment also constitutes harassment. The term “harassment inconnection with pregnancy, childbirth or childcare leave” refers to any and all of the above.
The determination of whether harassment in connection with pregnancy, childbirth or childcare leave has
occurred rests on the interpretation of whether the speech or behavior in question is considered inappropriate
in context. If, on an objective reading, the speech or behavior can be viewed as necessary and reasonable forreasons of safety or equitable allocation of work duties (in a workplace setting) or learning tasks (in a student
setting), then it is not inappropriate and does not constitute harassment.
2) Forms of Harassment in Connection with Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childcare Leave
Harassment in connection with pregnancy, childbirth or childcare leave can be divided into two categories as
described below.
① Harassment of Those Making Use of Systems, Etc.
This refers to speech or behavior regarding a person’s decision to make use of one or more of the systems,
schemes and measures listed below (collectively “systems”) that has a negative impact on the workplaceor learning environment.
・Health and well-being measures during pregnancy and after giving birth・Employment restrictions on hazardous work
・Maternity leave prior to childbirth・Switching to light work・Restricting overtime work, late-night work and work on holidays
・Childcare breaks
・Leave of absence from school
This category of harassment is further divided into the following three sub-categories.
ⓐ Anything Suggestive of Dismissal or Other Disadvantageous Treatment-13-

Where a suggestion or implication of disadvantageous treatment such as dismissal or refusal toprovide guidance is made to a faculty or staff member or student in connection with their decision
to take childcare leave or equivalentⓑ Anything Hindering Requests to Use or the Actual Use of Systems, Etc.
Where a manager, colleague, faculty advisor or friend advises a faculty or staff member or student
not to use the systems available to them in response to their inquiryⓒ Anything That Harasses Others for Having Used Systems, Etc.
Where a manager, colleague, faculty advisor or friend harasses a faculty or staff member or student
who has made use of the systems by, for example, using unpleasant speech or behavior,
withholding or obstructing access to work, or limiting their duties to menial or routine tasks② Situational Harassment
This refers to speech or behavior in relation to any of the following situations (collectively “pregnancyrelated situations”) that has a negative impact on the workplace or learning environment.
・Having gotten pregnant
・Having given birth・Being unable or having been unable to engage in work due to restrictions on hazardous work
・Being unable to work due to postpartum work restrictions, or taking maternity leave
・Being unable or having been unable to provide services related to work for reasons stemming from pregnancy
or childbirth (e.g., morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum, danger of miscarriage, failure to recover fromchildbirth, etc.) or that productivity has decreased
This category of harassment is further divided into the following two sub-categories.
ⓐ Anything Suggestive of Dismissal or Other Disadvantageous Treatment
Where a manager, faculty advisor or equivalent makes a suggestion or implication to a faculty or
staff member or student of disadvantageous treatment such as dismissal or refusal to provide
guidanceⓑ Harassment of Women for Having Gotten Pregnant, Etc.
Where a manager, colleague, faculty advisor or friend harasses a faculty or staff member or student
in a pregnancy-related situation by, for example, using unpleasant speech or behavior, withholding
or obstructing access to work, or limiting their duties to menial or routine tasks3) Other
Further examples are given on page 27, Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Harassment inConnection With Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childcare Leave.
（3）Alcohol Harassment
Alcohol harassment is essentially any form of harassment in relation to alcohol. Notwithstanding thatencouraging or forcing a student under 20 years of age to drink alcohol is a criminal offense, it is importantto remember that excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to acute alcohol poisoning. Forcing someone
to drink alcohol is thus a very serious act with potentially life-threatening consequences. Extreme prudence
is required in the following situations.
・Forcing others to drink alcohol with no regard for their physical constitution, condition, etc.
・Making others chug alcohol-14-

・Intentionally causing another person to become excessively inebriated・Preventing a person from going home after a drinking session and/or forcing them to attend subsequent
drinking sessions
It is important to show consideration to those who may not drink alcohol, for example by providing accessto non-alcoholic beverages.
（4）Racial Harassment
Racial harassment refers to improper discriminatory speech and/or behavior in connection with differencesin race, nationality or ethnicity. The Ritsumeikan University Charter calls for the “creation of universal
values based on academic freedom and search for solutions to the pressing issues facing humankind.” To
this end, it is vitally important that all faculty, staff and students of Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan
Affiliated Schools demonstrate respect for the fundamental human rights of each other regardless ofdifferences in race, nationality and ethnicity.
More information is provided on page 27, Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Racial
Harassment.

Ⅲ Basic Attitude to Avoid Harassing Others
1.

GeneralUnder Article 3 of the Regulations, all faculty, staff and students have an obligation to ensure that their actions do
not constitute harassment as set out in the Regulations and Guidelines (this document).
In order to avoid harassing others, nothing is more important than standing for respect of fundamental human rights. It
can be difficult sometimes to analyze one’s own behavior and work out whether it might be construed asharassment. At these times, it may be helpful to put yourself or a close friend or family member in the otherperson’s position, and ask yourself how it would feel. For instance, if you’re worried that your behavior might
constitute sexual harassment, try and imagine how you would feel if that same behavior were directed towards
your partner or child. If that makes you feel uncomfortable, then there is a high likelihood that your behavior does
indeed constitute sexual harassment. In the case of behavior that could constitute academic or power harassment,
simply imagine yourself on the receiving end of that behavior. How would you feel? If you feel unfairly treatedor less enthusiastic and committed to your job as a result, there’s a high likelihood that it is indeed a case ofacademic or power harassment.
The following points are also important to bear in mind.

2.

The Direct Impacts of Harassment on Others
One of the criteria for harassment is whether it results in a negative impact on the immediate environment, as we
saw earlier. Our yardstick for determining what constitutes a negative impact is “how most people would feel inthat situation” (see page 4). But this does not mean that the feelings of the actual person or persons involved are
excluded from consideration. Particularly in the case of speech or behavior of a sexual nature, different people
will react in different ways depending on their personality and character as well as sexual orientation and gender
identity. So, although we use the abstract concept of how “most people” would feel as our yardstick, we must also
take into account the actual reaction of the person or persons involved. The very act of making a judgment about
whether the environment has been negatively impacted can be viewed to some extent in the context of otherforms of harassment.
Speech or behavior intended to express friendship or familiarity can often have the unintended consequence of
causing discomfort, thereby having a negative impact on the workplace or learning environment. A common-15-

example is Person A making a remark to Person B imagining that the remark “was probably a bit harsh but I’msure they won’t take it the wrong way”—only to discover that Person B in fact found the remark deeply hurtful.
Harassment often results from an inability to consider things from another person’s perspective.
3.

Do Not Repeat the Same Speech and Behavior
If you realize that your speech and behavior is rejected or disliked by the other person, you must not repeat suchspeech and behavior.

4.

The Impacts of Harassment May Not Be Obvious
Problematic speech and behavior can often have impacts on others in ways that are not immediately noticeable(such as obvious discomfort or distress). This is particularly true in the case of academic and power harassment,
where the existence of a power balance makes people less likely to outwardly display their discomfort orannoyance for fear of being put in a disadvantageous position. The lack of a noticeable reaction, however, does
not in any way make the speech or behavior acceptable. Any person in a position of relatively superiority needs tobe constantly monitoring their speech and behavior and thinking about how it comes across to others. Anythingthat could be considered inappropriate—even if it doesn’t generate a reaction—should be followed up with an
apology.

5.

Harassment Can Occur After-Hours or Away From the Workplace/ Classroom
Article 2-1, Paragraph 1 of the Regulations stipulates that an inappropriate act occurring outside of work hours oraway from the workplace can still constitute harassment if it occurs in the context of the activities or operations of
Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools. Regardless of the setting, such as a social gathering
after work or after class, any act that satisfies the provisions of Article 2-1, Paragraph 1 can be consideredharassment.
■ Romantic Relationships Between Faculty Members and Students
1. Faculty Members Enjoy a Position of Absolute Superiority
Faculty members and students do not have equal status. The university environment often gives the impressionof equality, particularly when teaching staff and students are seen to be engaging one another in spirited debate
and discussion. However, the reality is that faculty members are responsible for assessing student performanceand as such enjoy a position of absolute superiority over their students.
Faculty advisors at graduate schools have even more power over their students. The faculty advisor is the
person who grades the dissertation, and as such has enormous influence over the student under theirsupervision. It is incumbent on teaching staff therefore to be fully aware of their position of superiority andcarefully monitor their speech and behavior to ensure that it cannot be construed as harassment.
Intimate relationships between students and faculty members can pose a major problem in terms of potential
harassment if and when the relationship finally breaks down. In particular, sexual harassment towards schoolage and younger students can have a very serious impact on their subsequent growth and development. Faculty
members are expected to exercise due prudence and caution.
2.

Toward Maintaining a Wholesome Environment for Education and Research
Faculty members should be constantly cognizant of their position of absolute superiority relative to students
and exercise due caution to prevent inappropriate relationships with students. A faculty member who enters into
an intimate relationship with one of their students, or with a student whose work they are responsible forgrading, must report the relationship to the supervisor of the relevant faculty, graduate school, educational
institution or Ritsumeikan Affiliated School (as per Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 7), in order to preserve
the sanctity of the learning or research environment of the relevant student and to ensure procedural fairness-16-and equity in the assessment process. The supervisor will then institute appropriate measures with respect to thestudent’s learning or research work.

Ⅳ What to Do If You Experience Harassment ―The Victim is Not Responsible —Be assured that if you are the victim of harassment, it is not your fault in any way. You should not blame
yourself for what has happened, and nor should you attempt to ignore the incident. The important thing is totake action so that a solution can be worked out before the situation deteriorates further. Remember thatsometimes the other party simply has no idea that their actions constitute harassment. Unless the relationshipbetween yourself and the other party is openly hostile, the best course of action is to point out to them directly,
either verbally or in writing, that their actions constitute harassment and are causing you discomfort. Where
direct communication is not possible, you should contact the supervisor of the relevant faculty, graduate school,
educational institution or Ritsumeikan Affiliated School (as per Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 7).
If you feel physically threatened, seek help from a friend or colleague or go to the nearest office. If necessary,call the police. Contact the office if you would like a faculty of staff member to accompany you to the police
station.
The official website of the Harassment Prevention Committee of Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan
Affiliated Schools has plenty of advice on what to do if you experience harassment, including emergency
contacts and an external counseling service. Key information can also be found in the Stop Harassment leaflet
produced by the Committee, which is available at all faculty offices and reproduced on the website.

Ⅴ Counseling Services and Complaint Procedures
1.

Harassment Counseling（1）Harassment Advisors① In order to respond to harassment consultations, there are “Harassment Advisors” ((Regulations, Article 14)
stationed on Ritsumeikan University’s four campuses: Kinugasa, BKC, Suzaku, and OIC. These individuals-17-were selected from among the faculty members of each college and graduate school, and from among theadministrative staff of each college administrative office, the Office of Student Affairs, the Medical Service
Center (Office of Medical Services), the Office of Payroll and Employee Benefits, etc. Faculty and staff
advisors are stationed at each Ritsumeikan Affiliated School.
② Harassment advisors receive two training sessions per year in advice and counseling techniques.
③ Harassment advisors provide advice and counseling in relation to a person’s experience of harassment.
Where a complaint is lodged (see Section 2 below), the advisor forwards this promptly to the
Administrative Office of the Harassment Prevention Committee.
（2）Applying for and Receiving Counseling① In addition to students, faculty, and staff, who feel they have been harmed by harassment, counselingcan also be provided to those who felt uncomfortable seeing and/or hearing someone else beingharassed, those who were warned by someone else that they were harassing others, supervisors andrelevant parties who have received harassment consultations, and guardians of young children or
school-age students of Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools.
② Counseling sessions can be scheduled via email or over the phone.
③ Generally, counseling is provided face-to-face at a facility or location with reliable privacy protection.
④ Individuals who wish to receive counseling can select the advisor with whom they are familiar and feel most atease talking to, regardless of their campus, college, graduate school, or school. In addition, if there is a goodreason, the counselee may request to change advisors during the counseling process.
⑤ The services of a professional counselor or other specialist institution within or outside the university
can also be arranged upon request and/or where deemed necessary.
⑥ Advisors have a duty of confidentiality. Without the consent of the counselees, the details of counselingwill not be communicated to anyone other than members of the Harassment Prevention Committee.
⑦ A person other than a harassment advisor who is asked for advice about harassment issues should makeevery effort to help as best as possible. Given that an urgent response is most likely required in order toresolve the situation, the recommended course of action is to put them in touch with a harassment
advisor.
（3）Record of Harassment Details
Sometimes the details of a harassment incident are known only to the parties to the incident and difficult forothers to understand. If you have experienced harassment, note down as many details as you can, including
who did it, when and where, what happened, and whether anyone else saw or heard it.
2.

Complaint Procedures(1) General
A person who feels they have experienced harassment may choose to resolve the situation themselves, basedon advice from and/or with the support of a harassment advisor, or they may decide to lodge a complaint with
the Harassment Prevention Committee.

(2) Lodging a Complaint
A complaint submitted to the Harassment Prevention Committee must nominate a preferred response option
from the three listed below (Regulations, Article 11-1, Paragraph 1, main text only). The person submitting
the complaint is referred to as the “complainant” while the other party to the harassment incident is referred to-18-

as the “other party.” For the purpose of this document, the collective term for the complainant and other party
is “both parties.”
1) Notification (Regulations, Article 11-1, Paragraph 1, Item 1)① The Harassment Prevention Committee attempts to resolve the issue by notifying the other party that acomplaint has been received. The notification provides details of the problematic speech or behavior andasks the other party to desist. The complainant may be named or may be kept anonymous.
② The Committee interviews the complainant to determine details of the incident for inclusion in the
notification, then notifies the other party that a complaint has been received and provides details.
③ The Committee informs the complainant that the notification has been issued.
④ In issuing the notification, the Committee makes no ruling on whether or not the alleged incident
constitutes harassment.
2) Conciliation (Regulations, Article 11-1, Paragraph 1, Item 2)① The conciliation option involves the Harassment Prevention Committee interviewing one or both of theparties to the incident, then meeting with either the other party or their supervisor as appropriate(Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 7) to work out an agreed solution with respect to the problematic
speech or behavior that was experienced as harassment by the complainant. The Committee advises theother party or their supervisor to resolve the situation via the agreed solution.
② After interviewing the parties to the incident, the Committee meets with the other party and/or theirsupervisor to agree on an appropriate solution.
③ The Committee informs the complainant of the agreed solution.
④ In providing a conciliation service, the Committee makes no ruling on whether or not the alleged incident
constitutes harassment.
3) Investigation (Regulations, Article 11-1, Paragraph 1, Item 3)① The investigation option involves the Harassment Prevention Committee conducting a fair and impartial
and proper investigation to find out the relevant facts, and determining whether the other party’s speech or
behavior described in the complaint constitutes harassment or not. The findings of the investigation are
notified to both parties. The Committee may also deem it necessary to advise the other party and/or theirsupervisor to implement specific remedial measures designed to resolve the problem associated with theharassment.
② Investigations are normally only carried out when requested by the complainant, but may also belaunched in cases where conciliation has proven unsuccessful in resolving the situation. (See also Article
11-1, Paragraph 4 of the Regulations regarding change of response option.)③ Investigations are performed by a dedicated investigation committee that normally comprises the Vice
Chairperson and members of the Harassment Prevention Committee along with the Director andmembers of the Administrative Office. To ensure the impartiality, neutrality and integrity of thecommittee, members must be outside the reporting line of and have no vested interest in either of theparties (Regulations, Article 7, Paragraph 3). The investigation committee establishes the facts of theincident by interviewing both parties in the complaint along with other relevant parties and analyzing the
supplied documentation, then issues a determination on whether harassment has occurred.
④ The Harassment Prevention Committee approves the findings of the investigation committee then notifies
both parties of the outcome (namely, whether it was found to be harassment).
⑤ Where harassment is found to have occurred and is deemed to have been of a serious enough nature to
warrant disciplinary action, the Committee will make a recommendation of disciplinary action to the deanof the relevant college or graduate school or principal of the relevant Ritsumeikan Affiliated School-19-

(where the complainant is a student) or to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (where thecomplainant is a member of faculty or staff), as per Article 12 of the Regulations.
⑥ When the Committee makes a recommendation of disciplinary action as per the previous paragraph, theother party has the right to submit an opinion statement and the Committee is obliged to forward theopinion statement together with the recommendation (Regulations, Article 13-1).
⑦ Investigations are normally completed within six months, although this period may be extended in thecase of highly complex matters (Regulations, Article 11-5).
（3）Time Limit on Lodging Complaints
Under Article 11-1, Paragraph 2 of the Regulations, a complaint can be submitted no later than three years
from the date of the alleged incident (or, where the pattern speech or behavior extends over multiple days,
the date of the first alleged incident), although Article 11-1, Paragraph 3 allows for exceptions to be made inextenuating circumstances.
（4）Other① A complaint may only be lodged by the person who has experienced the alleged harassment, except
where that person is a minor, in which case the complaint may be lodged by a guardian on their behalf.
② The complaint must be lodged directly with a harassment advisor.
③ The harassment advisor informs the Harassment Prevention Committee immediately when a complaint
has been lodged. Where the available information (including the details contained in the complaint andsupplied documentation) is not considered sufficient to make a ruling on the integrity of the complaint or
the most effective approach to resolution, a preliminary investigation may be carried out prior todesigning a concrete response.
④ Where the response option chosen by the complainant (notification, conciliation or investigation) is
deemed an unsuitable approach to resolution, the Committee may encourage the complainant to nominate
a different response option (Regulations, Article 11-1, Paragraph 4). If the complainant agrees, the new
option shall be deemed to be the option chosen at the time of the original complaint.
3.

Important Points Regarding Harassment Counseling and Complaints（1）Confidentiality (Regulations, Article 16-1, Paragraphs 1 and 2）
Harassment advisors and members of the Harassment Prevention Committee (the Chairperson, Vice
Chairperson, Committee members and Director of the Administrative Office) have a duty of confidentialitythat forbids them from divulging any confidential information acquired in the performance of their duties.
The duty of confidentiality applies even after their period of employment ends. Here, “confidential
information” includes the name of a person seeking counseling, the parties named in a complaint, details ofcounseling sessions and complaints, and even the fact that a counseling session or complaint has occurred.
Any violation of the duty of confidentiality resulting in the release of confidential information may result in
disciplinary action as set out the Work Regulations. Note however that the release of confidential
information may be permitted where deemed necessary due to extenuating circumstances, for example if anurgent response is requested by the Chairperson of the Harassment Prevention Committee.

（2）Respect for Privacy (Regulations, Article 16-2, Paragraphs 1 and 2)
The parties to a complaint and all third parties engaged in the response procedure (notification, conciliation
or investigation) must not divulge any information obtained in the course of processing the complaint—
including the fact of a report being issued by the Harassment Prevention Committee—to any other person
without permission. It is forbidden to share details of a Committee report on social media or in conversation-20-

with friends or acquaintances. However, the parties to a complaint are permitted to use such information to
exercise their rights under law, such as pursuing legal action for damages.
（3）Prohibition of Disadvantageous Treatment (Regulations, Articles 17-1 and 17-2)
Supervisors (Regulations, Article 2-1 Paragraph 7) must not harass or impose disadvantageous treatment(such as limiting work duties to menial or routine tasks) on any person who seeks advice or counseling,
complainant or other party to a complaint or third party engaged in a response procedure (notification,
conciliation or investigation) on the grounds of their involvement in a counseling, complaint or response
procedure.
Such behavior by a supervisor may itself constitute harassment (as per Article 2-1, Paragraph 1, Item 3 of
the Regulations, and elsewhere) and may result in the Harassment Prevention Committee making a
recommendation of disciplinary action to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (Regulations, Article 172, Paragraph 1).
（4）Retaliatory Action (Regulations, Article 16-3)
No student, faculty or staff member, guardian (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 5) or relevant party(Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 6) may take retaliatory action against or harass another person forhaving sought advice or counseling in relation to harassment, or having made a complaint, or having been
involved in a response (notification, medication or investigation). Such retaliatory action or harassment may
itself constitute harassment.
（5）Cooperation with the Harassment Prevention Committee (Regulations, Article 11-2)
Students, faculty and staff and guardians (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 4) and relevant parties(Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 5) are obliged to cooperate in good faith with the Harassment
Prevention Committee, and cannot refuse to be interviewed without good reason or provide false testimony.
Where an investigation is conducted, the parties to a complaint cannot refuse to acknowledge the findingsof the investigation.
Third parties are expected to cooperate with any request in relation to a response (notification, conciliation
or investigation) with the objective of uncovering the truth and formulating a resolution. Harassment
advisors and members of the Harassment Prevention Committee (the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson,
Committee members and Director the Administrative Office) are bound by a duty of confidentiality as
noted in Section 1 above. This means that giving testimony in an investigation carries no risk of a privacy
infringement or other negative repercussions. It is therefore expected that any person requested to cooperatewith an investigation will do so in good faith in order to expedite prompt resolution.
（6）Withdrawal of a Complaint by a Complainant (Regulations, Article 11-4, Paragraph 1)
A complainant may withdraw their complaint provided that the Harassment Prevention Committee has not
yet issued a notification to the other party (for a notification response), or not yet requested the supervisor or
the other party to implement an agreed solution (for a conciliation response), or not yet delivered its
findings on whether harassment has occurred (for an investigation response). A complaint cannot be
withdrawn after these points.
（7）Withdrawal of A Complaint Due to an Uncooperative Complainant (Regulations, Article 11-4, Paragraph 2)
In the event that the complainant refuses to engage with the solution proposed by the Harassment
Prevention Committee without good reason, the Committee reserves the right to treat the complaint as
having been withdrawn by the complainant.

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（8）Non-Acceptance of Complaints (Regulations, Article 11-3)
The Harassment Prevention Committee may decide not to accept a complaint where it is found to be basedon the same facts or circumstances as a previous complaint or to be beyond the Committee’s authority, or
where the matter would be better dealt with by other means, or for any other reason as deemed appropriate.
Examples include a complainant lodging a complaint about a previous matter that has already been found
not to constitute harassment; a complainant or other party requesting a transfer to another department (adecision that is beyond the authority of the Committee); a matter that the Committee considers could andshould be addressed by the complainant’s college, workplace or department; or a situation where thecomplainant is not seen to have a legitimate interest in lodging the complaint.
4.

Harassment Prevention Committee（1）General
The Harassment Prevention Committee is empowered to investigate harassment cases, encourage
resolution and provide recommendations around responses and/or disciplinary actions. In this sense it canbe said to have considerable authority within the Ritsumeikan Trust. Accordingly, the Regulations stipulatethat the Chairperson of the Committee must be appointed by the Chancellor (Article 9, Paragraph 1) while
one of the five Vice Chairpersons must be the Executive Trustee of General Affairs (Article 9, Paragraph 3).
At the same time, the Committee has been structured to allow the remaining Vice Chairpersons and theChief Administrative Officer considerable flexibility in responding to specific matters, and this is the basis
on which decisions are taken by the Harassment Prevention Committee and/or the Chairperson.
（2）Recommendations (Regulations, Article 13-2)
The Harassment Prevention Committee can make recommendations to the Chancellor in relation tomeasures for the resolution and prevention of harassment issues. Where the Committee makes arecommendation, the Chancellor then requests the relevant supervisor (as per Regulations, Article 2-1,
Paragraph 7) to implement the measures stipulated therein.
（3）Request for Urgent Measures (Regulations, Article 11-6)
Where an urgent response is required in relation to a counseling request or complaint, the Chairperson of theHarassment Prevention Committee can direct the relevant supervisor (Regulations, Article 2-1, Paragraph 7)
to implement one or more urgent measures. An example of an urgent request is asking the dean or principal(the supervisor) to protect the student (the complainant) by transferring them to a different class or byremoving their tutor or lecturer (the other party) from that class. Where the matter pertains to an
extracurricular activity, the request may be forwarded to the relevant advisor or equivalent via the supervisor.
（4）Disciplinary Action (Regulations, Articles 12 and 13)
Where an incidence of harassment deemed worthy of investigation is found to be serious enough to warrant
disciplinary action in accordance with Guidelines on Disciplinary Action (Executive Board of Trustees,
October 17, 2012), Ritsumeikan University Student Disciplinary Regulations and disciplinary standards
issued by Ritsumeikan Affiliated Schools, the Harassment Prevention Committee will make a
recommendation of disciplinary action to the person who has authority to discipline the other party (where theother party is a student, dean of the relevant college or graduate school or principal of the relevant
Ritsumeikan Affiliated School; where the other party is a faculty or staff member, the Chairperson of theBoard of Trustees). Before making a recommendation of disciplinary action, the Committee is obliged to givethe other party an opportunity to submit a written opinion statement within a reasonable time limit.
（5）Recurrence Prevention and Support-22-

In the event of an acknowledged instance of harassment, the Harassment Prevention Committee may
provide an appropriate level of advice and/or guidance to the other party designed to promote theirunderstanding of harassment and encourage better awareness of and reflection on their actions with the aimof preventing a recurrence in future. For example, the Committee may advise the other party to attend asuitable training program. The Committee may also ask the relevant supervisor to ensure that the learning,teaching, research or workplace environment provides a safe space for the complainant.
（6）To Create an Environment Where Harassment Does Not Occur (Regulations, Article 4, Paragraphs 1 and 2)
The Harassment Prevention Committee strives to stay up to date on harassment issues and developments
and to promote an environment that discourages harassment through a range of initiatives such as
producing promotional materials on harassment prevention, conducting awareness campaigns, and runningtraining and educational programs on harassment.

Ⅵ Review and Revision of Guidelines
These Guidelines will be implemented from July 1, 2007. In addition, if it becomes necessary to check the operation
status, it will be reviewed and revised.
15th Revision, April 1, 2021.
This revision will be implemented on April 1, 2021; complaints filed by March 31, 2021 or earlier will behandled based on the previous version of the Guidelines.

Appendix 1
Investigation Process (When Nominated by Complainant as Preferred Response Option)Counselee
Issue resolved without outside assistancebased on advice provided-23-

Harassment Advisor

Preliminary Investigation

Submission of a Written Complaint

Note: May require interviews with complainant,other party and/or third parties

Determination Whether Complaint Warrants Investigation

Reasonable Suspicion ofHarassment①The complaint is founded on the same facts as in the previous complaint.
②Another settlement method is more appropriate.
③ The matter can/should be dealt with by other means

Dismiss Complaint

Process Complaint

Explanation to the“Complainant”

Start Investigation

Interview with the ComplainantInterview with the Other Party

Explanation to the “Other Party,”
as Necessary

Interview(s) with Third Parties

Determine Whether Harassment has Occurred

Report and Explanation to the Other Party

Report and Explanation to the Complainant① Investigation Results① Investigation Results② Measures to Settle the Issue② Measures to Settle the Issue

Disciplinary action is appropriate

Recommendation of disciplinary action forwarded
to the relevant supervisor/ authority (Note: If prescreening is deemed necessary, initiate disciplinary

Responses
toExamples
Settle the Issue,
Prevent
Recurrence
Appendix2
ofMeasures
Speechtoand
Behavior
That May Constitute Harassment

procedure by a different organization■ Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Sexual Harassment-24-

1. Sexual Speech (speech based on sexual interest or desire)① Asking someone about their bust-hip-weight measurements or talking about their physicalcharacteristics (e.g., “Chotto futottan jyanai” (“You gained a little weight”), “Chotto yasetan jyanai”(“You lost a little weight”), etc.).
② Telling obscene jokes.
③ Asking a woman who seems not to be feeling well, “Kyo wa seiribi ka” (“Are you on your period?”),“Mo konenki ka” (“Are you already in menopause?”), etc.
④ Asking someone about their sexual experiences or sex life.
⑤ Making someone an object of sexual gossip or sexual teasing.
⑥ Talking about one's personal sexual experiences.
2. Sexual Behavior（1）Speech based on sexual interest or desire① Coercing someone into a sexual relationship.
② Touching someone’s body unnecessarily.
③ Persistently asking someone out to eat or out on a date④ Constantly looking at someone’s body.
⑤ Making phone calls of a sexual nature, or sending letters, emails or SNS communications withsexual content.
⑥ Deliberately showing someone obscene photographs or reading obscene articles from magazines,
etc.
⑦ Using obscene photos, etc., as PC desktop backgrounds.
（2）Speech and Behavior Intended to Discriminate on the Basis of Gender① Forcing someone to sing a duet at karaoke.
② Making someone sit next to the boss, serve sake, or slow dance at drinking parties.
③ Saying things like, “Otoko no kuse ni konjo ga nai” (“For a man, you have no guts”), “Onna ni wa
shigoto wo makaserarenai” (“You can’t trust a woman with work”), or “Josei wa shigotoba no hanadeareba ii” (“It’s enough for a woman to be office eye candy”).
④ Addressing people in a way that shows unacceptance of their identity with the intention todiscriminate on the basis of gender, such as by using the terms otoko no ko (boy), onna no ko (girl),
boku (casual form of “I” used by Japanese men), boya (boy), ojosan (young lady), ojisan (uncle),obasan (aunt), etc.
⑤ Forcing women in the office to serve tea, clean, and help with personal matters just because they are
women.
3. Speech and Behavior Against Sexual Minorities (LGBTQ)① Teasing someone or making someone a target of bullying in regards to their sexual
orientation or gender identity.
② Harassing someone who has come out and disclosed their LGBTQ identity.
③ Calling someone names that show unacceptance of their identity (e.g., homo (homo),
okama (queer), etc.
④ Speech and behavior that expresses disgust (e.g., “Homo wa sawaruna” (“Don’t touch me,
you homo”), “Rezu wa kimochiwarui” (“Lesbians give me the creeps”), etc.
⑤ Saying, “Eh, kimi kocchi nano” (“Oh, you’re like this?”) while placing the back of the handagainst the face in a gesture used in Japan to connote homosexuality.

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⑥ Saying, “Doseiai toka seidoitsuseishogai toka no hitotte, koko ni wa inai yone” (“No one here is agay or has a gender identity disorder, right?”⑦ Saying, “~ santte, otoko? Onna? Docchida ka wakaranai yone” (“Is ~ a man? Woman?
I don’t know which”) when referring to an LGBTQ person.

■ Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Power Harassment
1. Physical Aggression (assault or violence)① Punching or kicking a person② Throwing objects at a person
2. Psychological Aggression (intimidation, slander, insulting or abusive language)① Speech or behavior that invalidates a person’s character② Prolonged, repetitive, excessive and/or unwarranted levels of criticism③ Repeated overbearing criticism delivered in a loud voice in front of others④ Email or other message delivered to multiple recipients containing concerted criticism of the skills or
capacities of a particular person to the point of vilification
Note: Stern criticism may be warranted (and would not constitute harassment) in situations such as: anemployee who repeatedly violates social norms (such as arriving late for work) in spite of multiple
warnings; or an employee whose speech or behavior is problematic in the context of the type ofwork or the expectations of a teaching or research institution.
3. Isolation (separating an employee from others, excluding them from a group, or refusing to
acknowledge their presence)① Deliberately removing an employee from their work duties, isolating them in a separate room for a
prolonged period or ordering them to remain at home as retribution for a disagreement of opinion② Ordering employees to ignore a certain individual or isolate them in the workplace
Note: Asking new recruits to undergo a short intensive induction training in a separate room, or ordering
an employee who has been disciplined in line with disciplinary regulations to complete a training
session in a separate room before returning to their normal duties, does not constitute harassment.
4. Unreasonable Demands (assigning tasks that are clearly unnecessary or impossible, or obstructing thework of an employee)① Ordering an employee to perform unnecessary or unrelated tasks for extended periods under
unpleasant conditions that cause physical pain
② Subjecting new recruits to targets or objectives that are clearly unachievable without providing therelevant training then criticizing them for failing to achieve③ Forcing an employee to perform personal duties unrelated to the work of the organization④ Forcing an employee to work evenings, weekends or holidays
Note: Assigning an employee a task that is more demanding than their current duties as a capacity
building exercise, or assigning more work to an employee during a particularly busy period for theorganization, does not constitute harassment.
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5. Menial Demands (assigning menial tasks that are well below the abilities or experience of an employee,or refusing to assign tasks for no discernible reason)① Ordering an employee to perform menial or degrading work in a deliberate attempt to force them outof the organization② Refusing to assign duties to an employee in a deliberate attempt to upset them due to a personality
clash
Note: Reducing the scope or nature of an employee’s workload in a manner commensurate with theirabilities and experience does not constitute harassment.
6. Personal Infringement (excessive and/or unwanted intrusion into personal affairs)① Constantly checking on or monitoring an employee outside the workplace or photographing theirpersonal effects② Divulging private information about an employee such as sexual orientation, gender identity,
medical history or infertility treatment, without their express consent
Note: Asking a student with a disability about their family situation in the context of accommodating theirneeds, or passing on information about a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, medical history
or infertility treatment to an HR officer in the context of seeking special consideration and with theirconsent, does not constitute harassment.

■ Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Harassment in Connection
With Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childcare Leave
1. Harassment of Those Making Use of Systems, Etc.
① When a student, faculty member or staff member consults her boss about taking time off from work
for a prenatal checkup and the boss tells her “Byoin wa yasumi no hi ni iku mono da” (“Going to thehospital is something done on the weekend or holidays”) or the like, and does not offer assistance.
② Saying, “Sankyu, ikukyu wa mitomenai” (“Maternity leave and childcare leave will not beapproved”), or “Mo konakuteii kara taishoku todoke (taigaku todoke) wo kakinasai” (“You do notneed to come [to work or school] anymore, so write a letter of resignation [withdrawal]”).
③ Saying, “Shushokushita bakari nano ni ninshin shite, sankyu, ikukyu toru nante zuzushii”(“You’ve just started working here! You have a lot of nerve taking maternity and childcare leave”)④ When a coworker says to a female student, faculty member or staff member taking time off forchildcare, “Anata ga hayaku kaeru sei de mawari no hito wa shigoto ga fue, meiwaku shiteiru”(“You’re causing trouble by going home early and making more work for everyone else”).

2. Situational Harassment① Telling a student, faculty member or staff member who has announced that she is pregnant, “Tsugino keiyaku koshin wa shinai” (“I won’t renew your contract next time”), “Hoka no hito wo yatou
node hayameni yamete hoshi” (“I’m going to hire someone else, so I want you to quit soon”), or“Taigaku [kyugaku] shinasai” (“Just withdraw [take a leave of absense] from school”).
② Telling a member who has been hospitalized owing to the danger of miscarriage that she should nolonger bother coming to work or school and should just write her letter of resignation.

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③ When a faculty advisor tells a researcher, who has announced that she is pregnant, “Kodomo wo toru
ka, kenkyu wo toru ka docchi ka ni shiro” (“You have to choose between having children or doing
research”)④ When a faculty advisor tells a student, who has been absent from school due to severe morning
sickness, “Gakugyo ni sennen dekinai nara daigaku wo yameteshimae” (“If you can’t focus on youreducation, you should just drop out”).
⑤ Saying things like “Ookina onaka de urouro suruna” (“Don’t just hang around with that big
belly of yours”), “Mezawari” (“You’re an eyesore”), or “Meiwaku” (“You’re a nuisance”).
⑥ When a boss says to a faculty member or staff member who has requested childcare leave, “Otoko
ga ikukyu wo toru nante arien” (“I can’t believe a man would take childcare leave”), etc.
⑦ When a coworker says to a faculty member or staff member who has requested childcare leave,“Omae ga yasumi wo toru sei de mawari no hito wa shigoto ga fue, meiwaku shiteiru” (“You’re
causing trouble by taking leave and making more work for everyone else”).

■ Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Racial Harassment① Harassing people or subjecting them to unfair treatment because of one’s prejudices against people
from a specific country or of a certain race or ethnicity, or because of their nationality.
② Unfair discriminatory speech and behavior from a teacher during class against a specific country,
race or ethnicity with no relation to the theme of the class.
③ Ignoring international students’ cultural backgrounds and forcing them to act according to
the same standards as Japanese people.
④ Routinely telling jokes that make fun of a specific country, race or ethnicity.
⑤ Using racial slurs as a form of bullying in class, during extracurricular activities, or in theworkplace.

■ Examples of Speech and Behavior That May Constitute Other Forms of Harassment① ojisan (uncle – used to mean old man), obasan (aunt – used to mean old woman), ji-jii (oldman), ba-baa (old lady)② boku (casual form of “I” used by Japanese men but can indicate that speaker views thelistener as inferior or immature when used as “you”), boya (boy), ojosan (young lady)③ debu (fatty), busu (ugly woman), busaiku (ugly), hage (baldy)④ baka (stupid), muno (incompetent)⑤ ~shogai (disabled)
Note: The terms listed above may sometimes be employed in the context of light-hearted banter between people who
enjoy a close friendship. It must be remembered however that in the wrong context these words can be interpreted asharassment.

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