In recent
days, several Japanese media reported that the use of the suffix “-chan” in
the workplace it had been considered sexual harassment by a
Tokyo court. However, the case is much more complex than that headline. The
verdict of the Tokyo District Court, issued on October 23,
referred to a workplace harassment lawsuit against an employee of Sagawa
Express, but 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're cute” o “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
yen, but 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 he 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 it
did not determine that the simple use of the suffix constitutes sexual
harassment, but the set of attitudes —comments about appearance and
excessively familiar treatment— formed an inappropriate pattern of behavior.
Beyond
the headline
The viral
interpretation of the ruling as a “ban by -chan” oversimplified a combining
issue language, hierarchies and professional limits. In Japanese,
“-chan” is used in emotional 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 harassment, but 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 language, but on empathy and interpersonal boundaries.
