SAPPORO (Kyodo) A 35-year-old man who was ostracized and then fired after he complained about his coworkers' smoking received a record ¥7 million in damages from his employer Wednesday at the Sapporo District Court's Takikawa branch.
The damages, which came in a court-arbitrated settlement, are believed the highest ever awarded over passive smoking, according to Masayoshi Tsukahara, the lawyer for the employee, who wants his name withheld.
The plaintiff, who worked at a construction material maker in Takikawa, which has also not been named, had demanded ¥23 million in damages.