TOKYO (TR) – The Japan Cosmetic Association and others last week filed a lawsuit seeking damages against the Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo and professors over a claim that they were forced to provide excessive entertainment during a research program.
According to the lawsuit filed at the Tokyo District Court, the association and the professor began joint research on marijuana-derived ingredients that could be used in the beauty industry in April 2023, reports the Sankei Shimbun (May 16).
However, around the time of the contract signing, the professors demanded that the association have dinner parties about twice a month. The professors also demanded entertainment at clubs and fuzoku commercial sex shops in the ritzy Ginza entertainment quarter.
The total cost for the entertainment amounted to approximately 20 million yen by September last year.
The suit seeks 42 million yen in damages.
Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo terminated the contract around March this year due to unpaid research expenses of approximately 60 million yen that were supposed to be borne by the association.
The association says that the claim of unpaid expenses is invalid, as they were offset by the entertainment and the purchase of unnecessary machinery.
After the lawsuit was filed, the association’s representative director, Koichi Hikiji, held a press conference in Tokyo. He said, “We regret having entertained the professors, but they made threatening statements, such as ‘I’m going to close the program.’ I couldn’t refuse.”
According to the association, the professors also demanded an additional 15 million yen. They have also filed a complaint with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for attempted extortion.
In response to the lawsuit, the University of Tokyo commented, “We are currently verifying the facts, and are unable to respond at this time.”
