Editorial

16:33 JST, March 20, 2025

A neutral and impartial investigative body, which was set up by the Hyogo prefectural government, has declared that the local government’s handling of a whistleblowing case was illegal. Gov. Motohiko Saito cannot escape from his responsibility. He should make his own decision on whether to step down from the post.

A third-party committee, with lawyers, some of whom were former judges, has released a report on the prefectural government’s response to allegations against Saito regarding workplace bullying, as well as on whistleblowing by a then senior official.

The committee found that Saito’s actions, including “banging on desks to berate officials” and “constantly reprimanding officials and giving them instructions through a chat function for long periods of time at night and on their days off,” constituted workplace bullying. It condemned the governor, using such expressions as “extremely inappropriate” and “the governor used coercive actions to intimidate........

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