Questions Arise Over Leadership at Biwako Seikei Sports University Amid Power Harassment Claims

Biwako Seikei Sports University, located in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, has produced many professional athletes since its establishment in 2003. Among its graduates is Ai Aoki (39), a synchronized swimmer who represented Japan at the Beijing Olympics, along with over 30 J-League soccer players.

 

Former president Masaaki Okawa (66) has served as a director of the J-League and as the chairman of both the B-League and the current V-League, demonstrating the strong influence of the university’s faculty in the sports world.

 

On September 9 of this month, around 50 members of the soccer team, while “training” in kayaking on Lake Biwa, became lost, leading to a significant incident with temporarily missing persons, drawing considerable attention.

 

“What happened to the prestigious sports institution?”

A certain suspicion stemming from this prestigious sports school is currently causing controversy within the prefecture. Let’s hear an explanation from a local media representative.

 

“There are allegations that a certain staff member, Mr. X, who held a management position at the school, engaged in power harassment against students. Mr. X retired this spring, and the truth of the allegations is unclear, but there are rumors that he may have been dismissed due to his power harassment actions. Interestingly, Mr. X was appointed as the chairperson of the ceremony committee for a sports event called ‘Wata SHIGA Kira Kuni Sports and Disabled Sports,’ scheduled to be held in 2025. Given the event’s high public interest, there has been skepticism within the administration about whether it is appropriate to place someone with power harassment allegations in such a significant position.”

 

Are the suspicions circulating in the prefecture factual? FRIDAY Digital has received multiple tips on this matter. A staff member from the university responded to inquiries, stating that “Mr. X’s power harassment had long been a concern within the school.”

 

“There have been voices indicating that Mr. X had engaged in power harassment towards specific teachers and had subjected some students to insidious harassment. It has been reported that some students suffered from mental health issues due to the power harassment, prompting parents to lodge complaints with the university.”

“SENSITIVE INFORMATION.”

Whether power harassment actually occurred remains unclear as Mr. X left the university without any resolution. A former faculty member testified:

 

“During an emergency staff meeting in April, President Okawa, who served until the end of June this year, suddenly announced that ‘Mr. X was dismissed due to harassment issues.’ However, the details were said to be ‘not disclosed internally.’ Subsequently, Mr. X’s name quietly disappeared from the university’s website. Some faculty members voiced their concerns, saying, ‘If he was dismissed, it should be made public,’ but it seemed the university paid little attention to these opinions.”

 

To verify the facts, FRIDAY Digital contacted the public relations representative of Biwako Seikei Sports University. They neither confirmed nor denied Mr. X’s dismissal, simply stating, “This matter pertains to personnel issues, so we cannot comment.”

 

When FRIDAY Digital inquired with Osaka Seikei Gakuen, which operates the university, about whether Mr. X’s power harassment was a fact, whether President Okawa’s statement about not disclosing information was true, and the circumstances surrounding Mr. X’s dismissal, the human resources department responded:

 

“We perceive your questions as being based on sensitive information regarding Mr. X (whose real name was provided). After careful consideration, we have determined that it is not appropriate for the university to respond (including public disclosure) on these matters. Therefore, our unified response is that we cannot comment on personnel-related issues, and this will continue in the future.”

 

From an ethical standpoint, is it acceptable to appoint Mr. X as the ceremony chair? To gather the perspective of Shiga Prefecture, FRIDAY Digital contacted the “Shiga Sparkling National Sports and Paralympic Sports Executive Committee.” The representative revealed the following:

 

“The individual in question voluntarily resigned as of July 31. We are unaware of the reasons for their departure, nor do we have any information regarding harassment or actions taken by the university. There were no issues with their activities as a committee member, so we did not verify the university’s actions with them, nor did they provide any explanations on their own.”

 

It is a fact that Mr. X has already resigned from the committee, but it is also true that due to the university’s decision not to disclose the details of his dismissal, he held the important position of ceremony chair for a significant event for some time.

The criticism of “non-interventionism” or “doing nothing to avoid conflict.”

Hiromichi Yoshitake, an honorary professor at Tsukuba University and the chairman of the Tokyo Kasei Gakuin school corporation, raises questions about the university’s response.

“If the university has indeed taken disciplinary action, it should publicly disclose the facts and consequences of the harassment case in accordance with standard practices. This is necessary not only for preventing recurrence but also to communicate the institution’s stance and discipline both internally and externally. Universities are public educational institutions, and private universities also receive subsidies from the government, making them non-taxable except for revenue-generating activities. Moreover, for students and parents choosing a school, it is desirable to disclose both positive and negative facts as much as possible.

While we must avoid identifying individuals, including their names, to respect the rights of those who have been disciplined, it is necessary to convey the facts. This may have ultimately contributed to providing information to the prefecture. Universities exist based on the support of their local communities and society. For this reason, I hope they will demonstrate their stance and discipline as public educational institutions.” 

I contacted Mr. X’s home to confirm the fact of his dismissal, but there was no response; the call was simply forwarded to his mobile phone. The former faculty member sighed.

“I feel anger towards the university’s lack of social responsibility as a public educational institution and, more importantly, its lack of consideration for the victims of power harassment. At the very least, the existence of the disciplinary dismissal should have been made clear. This incident might lead to widespread awareness of the university’s tendency to cover things up.”

In today’s world, even private companies are expected to publicly disclose misconduct and respond quickly. Consequently, there is growing scrutiny on the “non-interventionism” of Biwako Seikei Sports University, a public institution.