A man in Kyoto has been arrested for allegedly forcing an electronics store employee into shaving his head in a dramatic act of apology – an incident that has cast fresh light on Japan’s deep-rooted customer-is-always-right culture and the country’s recent move to curb abuse against service workers.
Police detained the 49-year-old suspect on suspicion of coercion on Thursday for an incident which happened just days after a new ordinance banning customer harassment came into effect in Tokyo.
The rule is Japan’s first legal effort to address kasuhara – a term used to describe unreasonable or aggressive behaviour by customers – and was prompted by mounting reports of mistreatment across the service sector.
Though it carries no criminal penalties, it aims to serve as a deterrent by formally prohibiting verbal abuse and excessive demands against employees, according to The Asahi Shimbun.
The head-shaving case underscores the sort of incidents the rule is meant to tackle.
On April 4, three days after the ordinance in Tokyo took effect, the suspect reportedly called a store in Kyoto’s Minami ward to complain about a faulty set of electric hair clippers. He demanded a replacement, which a 42-year-old clerk agreed to deliver personally.
