Sexual harassment is a constant problem in Japanese politics in the past up until today. (Image: Yoshio Tsunoda/Afro)“One of them was a big politician who had already passed away, he loved to touch her breasts. He was the kind of person who would go to a small restaurant and stick his hand into Nakai-san’s kimono and touch her. One time I happened to sit next to him, and he jokingly reached out and said, ‘Can I touch your boobs?’ I said, ‘If you touch them, even a little bit, I’ll write about it,’ and his hand suddenly retracted as if he had been hit by electricity.” Chiyako Sato, an editorial writer for the Mainichi Shimbun, said. She is a well-known reporter who worked in the Osaka Social Affairs Department and as a Washington correspondent before becoming the first female head of a national newspaper’s political department. In her recent book, ” Osan no Kabe” (The Wall of Osan) (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho ), Sato confesses in detail the sexual harassment she experienced in Nagatacho. In her book, she warns against the danger of politicians who are comfortable in a male-dominated society (Sato comments below).   “Regarding the allegations of sexual harassment made by (House of Representatives Speaker) Hiroyuki Hosoda, as reported by the Weekly Bunshun, he himself has denied it, and I myself know only rumors, so I cannot comment on the facts. However, there is no doubt that there have been and still are constant sexual harassment troubles by politicians. I get the impression that the essence of Nagatacho has not changed.” Ms. Sato has been covering Nagatacho for many years as a political reporter. She has also been a victim of sexual harassment herself. In 1991, her second year as a political reporter, she had the following experience. “I was visiting the room of a mid-level Diet member at the dormitory. He was such a kind person that he would pour hot water and serve it to the several reporters who gathered there every morning, saying, ‘You have to drink at least miso soup in the morning.’ There were no other reporters that morning, and it happened to be just us two. As we were talking over miso soup in the kitchen as usual, the counselor said, ‘You haven’t had enough sleep, have you? Get some sleep.’” “He went to the next Japanese-style room, took out a futon from the closet, and began to lay it out on the tatami mats. I refrained and left the room early. In hindsight, this is clearly sexual harassment. But at the time I was still young and inexperienced as a reporter, and above all, I could not connect the sexual harassment with the elderly and kind senator. I almost fell asleep, saying, ‘With your permission, I’ll take a nap.’” Stick out your tongue.