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Japan is taking one of the epic steps it has overdue with respect to workplace protection measures, by legally mandating employers to implement a customer harassment prevention system. As of October 1, 2026, companies will be obligated to actively prevent chilling practices by the customers, sometimes called as “Kasuhara”, under new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) under the New Comprehensive Labour Policy Act.
The reform represents an extensive cultural change in a country where customers are willing to be called as “the customer is god” in the service industry. With this change the law does not now pass the blame on the workers who may be abusing one another but instead, on the employer for providing a safe working space.
What Is Kasuhara?
Exceeding reasonable complaints and causing a bad work climate involves Kasuhara. The MHLW says there are three conditions to an incident potentially being considered as customer harassment: it must be from a customer or another business partner, isn’t commercially acceptable and has an impact on an employee’s physical or psychological wellbeing.
Any concerns or requests for assistance are not harassment unless they are made with an improper tone and urgency. Repeatedly threatening or intimidating someone, however, or threatening to do something they are not legally entitled to, or if the abuse is online, it may be considered by law.
Mandatory Employer Responsibilities
The latest changes will be enforced nationwide, so all Japanese employers will have to have procedures in place to prevent and deal with both the harassment of customers and the harassment of employees by their customers. Businesses need to have written policies that prohibit customers from engaging in any inappropriate behavior and add the policies as part of their official staff policies.
Companies must also establish confidential reporting systems, set forth clear reporting protocols for staff members working on the frontline, and allow staff to safely walk away from an abusive phone call or a dangerous situation as means of stopping the phone call or exiting the situation. Employers may issue customer bans as appropriate, engage law enforcement and offer psychological care of affected employees.
What HR Teams Should Do Before October 2026?
Human Resource departments don’t have a lot of time to get ready for compliance. Employers should begin creating new employee policies, published in the employee handbooks, to firmly establish Kasuhara and explain employee rights.
Practical training and guidance should be provided to managers on how to deal with abusive customers and escalation of incidents. Businesses are also given the incentive to implement technical measures like call recording systems, security cameras and prominently display signs of acceptable customer behavior. Implementing a two-person policy procedure for serious incidents can also help make employees more safer.
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Why Do the New Rules Matter?
The Act acknowledges that teasing and harassment by customers is not simply a customer service problem, but a problem in the workplace for the well-being of workers. Japan is hoping to alleviate employee stress, as well as increase job satisfaction and better working conditions, across the retail, hotel, medical, public transport and service industries that interact with customers in the workplace.
Compliance will be all but an integral component of an increasing multi-national firms’ HR risk management and corporate governance framework in Japan.
FAQs
What is Kasuhara?
Kasuhara is the Japanese word for customer harassment, which is considered to be any behavior that customers exhibit that will go beyond acceptable social acceptability and negatively impact the employee’s work environment.
When will the new Japan anti-customer harassment law come into effect?
As per the amended Comprehensive Labour Policy Act, employers have new obligations which come into effect from 1st October, 2026.
Can common customer grievances be seen as harassment?
No, any complaints and reasonable feedback is not considered as customer harassment. Only conduct that is abusive, threatening or unreasonable are covered by the law.
