FUKUOKA -- A department chief in the Fukuoka Municipal Government accused of harassing subordinates by glaring at them during meetings and slamming a desk, among other acts, was slapped with a temporary pay cut on March 21, city officials announced.

The 56-year-old department chief in the city's environment bureau was accused of repeatedly engaging in intimidating behavior such as rebuking subordinates, and was given a 10% salary reduction for six months. The chief claimed, "I have a loud voice and I speak in the Hakata dialect, so it may have sounded harsh."

According to the city's human resources division, the chief has repeatedly glared at section chief-level employees who couldn't clearly explain points of discussion in meetings since he assumed the position in April 2022. In September 2024, he reportedly berated a specific subordinate using the Hakata dialect in front of multiple employees while banging a desk with a pen in his hand.

Between July 2023 and July 2024, four anonymous reports were submitted to the city. Following these reports, the chief received guidance and training from his manager at least eight times, but his behavior did not improve. At least one subordinate who experienced harassment apparently developed a mental health issue.

Including this incident, the city has disciplined two department chief-level staff members in fiscal 2024 alone. Earlier in September 2024, a male department chief of the city's agriculture, forestry and fisheries bureau received a six-month suspension for detaining a female subordinate in a closed room at the city hall for an extended period and making remarks such as "I love you" while scolding her.

(Japanese original by Shizuka Takebayashi, Kyushu News Department)