Former governor in Japan sent over a thousand sexual texts to female subordinates, harassed them for 20 years
A former Japanese governor has sparked outrage after a report revealed that he had sexually harassed at least four female subordinates over the course of two decades.
According to Asahi Shimbun, the report states that the former governor of Fukui Prefecture, Tatsuji Sugimoto, had sent about 1,000 texts of a sexual nature to his female colleagues between 2004 and 2025.
The harassment was reported to have spanned over 20 years, with the victims stating they had been subjected to both physical and verbal abuse.
Decades of harassment uncovered
The investigation began after one victim filed a formal complaint in April 2025.
According to the report, the harassment began shortly after Sugimoto’s assignment to Fukui in 2004, when he first contacted female colleagues by email.
The emails contained explicit requests for romantic and sexual advances, such as asking the women to become his lover, hug him, or kiss him.
Sugimoto also allegedly warned the women to keep these requests secret.
Source: Asahi Shimbun
Despite repeated rejections, the harassment persisted for years, with the former governor sending thousands of messages.
In addition to the texts, the victims also reported instances of physical harassment. According to The Japan Times, this occurred on three occasions.
One woman claimed that Sugimoto groped her during an encounter, reaching under her skirt to touch her thigh and buttocks.
Potentially criminally liable despite resignation
The 63-year-old denied the allegations of physical harassment.
He also initially claimed that the emails were meant as a joke before ultimately admitting to sexually harassing the women with the emails.
He issued a public apology and resigned as Fukui governor in November last year.
Source: The Japan Times
While Sugimoto has been widely condemned, the investigation also criticised the supervisors of the victims for failing to report the complaints immediately to the appropriate channels.
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Featured image adapted from The Japan Times.Â
