TOKYO (TR) – A female employee of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) has filed a lawsuit against the railway giant, demanding over 8.1 million yen in damages after she was allegedly mocked by superiors and ignored by management following a workplace voyeurism case.
The lawsuit, filed on September 18, accuses JR East of failing in its duty to maintain a safe working environment and attempting to sweep the incident under the rug, reports Ben54.jp (Sep. 18).
According to the complaint, the ordeal began on August 5, 2024, when a male colleague was arrested in a separate voyeurism case. When police examined the suspect’s smartphone, they discovered a trove of tosatsu (voyeur) photos taken inside the company’s restroom.
The plaintiff learned she was a victim weeks later when a coworker casually approached her, saying, “I heard you’re a victim. The culprit is [Colleague A].” She confirmed the photos with police and filed a criminal complaint. The perpetrator was fired in September and received a suspended prison sentence in November.
However, the crime itself was only the beginning of the woman’s nightmare.
While in police custody, the suspect allegedly used his wife — also a JR East employee — to ask another male coworker to clear out his desk and locker. The items he desperately wanted hidden? The female victim’s shoes and used sanitary pads.
The coworker was caught sneaking into the office late at night by a night-shift employee, thwarting the attempted destruction of evidence. When the victim reported this to the company, management refused to penalize the accomplice, reportedly claiming they could not punish an “unsuccessful attempt.” When the company finally checked the perpetrator’s desk, the used sanitary pads and women’s sneakers were discovered.
“Voyeurism is common”
The lawsuit highlights a deeply ingrained culture of misogyny in the aftermath of the discovery, citing a series of highly insensitive remarks from management and medical staff.
When she sought help, an industrial physician reportedly told her, “Voyeurism is common here. You’re just lucky he was caught.”
A manager allegedly brushed off her distress by saying, “It’s tough being cute.” Meanwhile, her boss refused to make the incident public, and another employee was overheard at a company drinking party bragging, “Something amazing happened. It’ll make for great drinking gossip next month.”
The company is also accused of leaking her identity to coworkers and exposing the perpetrator’s exact hidden-camera methods during a staff meeting, despite her explicit pleas for confidentiality.
Furthermore, her request for a workplace transfer was allegedly ignored for three months. When management finally offered a new position, it was an administrative role at a train center where women made up just 2.6% of the staff, requiring a grueling daily commute of up to three hours.
Workplace injury
Diagnosed with acute stress disorder, the woman has been on a leave of absence since January 2025 and had her condition officially recognized as a workplace injury in March.
She is seeking 8,169,360 yen to cover emotional distress, lost wages, and legal fees.
Speaking from behind a screen at a press conference in Tokyo, the victim expressed her frustration. “They wouldn’t let me quit, they wouldn’t let me take leave, and they wouldn’t transfer me. I had no escape,” she said. “I want to change a corporate culture where victims of sex crimes cannot raise their voices.”
When approached for comment, a JR East representative stated that the company had not yet received the legal complaint and declined to comment further.
