Over 20% of actors in Japan say they've been sexually harassed

Over 20% of actors, stunt performers, voice actors and announcers in Japan said between October and December last year that they had experienced sexual harassment, a government white paper showed Friday.

A survey for the white paper on measures to prevent karoshi, or death from overwork, was conducted with 640 people engaged in art and entertainment work. Of those who gave valid answers, the proportion of people who experienced sexual harassment, such as being touched by coworkers or bosses more than necessary or being pressed to have sexual relations, stood at 25.7% among voice actors and announcers, 20.4% among actors and stunt performers and 16.7% among writers and creators.

Looking at all types of harassment, the most common problem was hurtful remarks by coworkers, cited by nearly 70% of voice actors and announcers and over 50% of actors and stunt performers.

The government plans to work on preventing harassment damage by spreading awareness of the guidelines released in July last year for establishing fair contractual relationships in the fields of culture and art.