A former member of the Japanese assembly who claims to have been sexually assaulted by the mayor of the city he represents has spoken out, claiming that residents were unjustifiably pressured to vote for her expulsion last week.
Shoko Arai, who was the only woman in the 12-member assembly at Kusatsu Spa, accused the mayor, Nobutada Kuroiwa, and other prominent local men of seeking to remove her from office after she became public about her allegations. an e-book at the end of 2019. She claimed that Kuroiwa sexually assaulted her in his office in 2015. He rejected the request.
Arai was expelled from the assembly on Tuesday last week after residents voted overwhelmingly to remove it.
“Since I was charged, I have been punished in council and subjected to a storm of criticism,” Arai told a news conference on Friday. “Does Kuroiwa want to use his power to exclude” angry “people like me from the council, to drive me out of the city and destroy my life?”
Arai’s case highlighted criticism of how Japanese authorities deal with allegations of sexual violence. According to a 2017 government survey, only 4% of women who have been sexually assaulted show up.
Arai said his ordeal has shown that Japan also has to deal with the low rate of women’s representation in politics, especially at the local level.
“Why do you think the #MeToo movement doesn’t seem to be catching on in Japan?” she said. “It’s because we live in a male-dominated society, which creates an atmosphere where it’s hard for women to talk. Instead, they are crushed. That’s exactly what happened to me, “she said.
The 73-year-old mayor has repeatedly denied Arai’s sexual assault in his office in 2015. Speaking to reporters this week, Kuroiwa labeled Arai’s accusation “100% lying and fabrication,” adding that there is no room for an argument over the existence was consensual sex. “It was absolutely nothing,” he said.
Kuroiwa said Arai did not file a complaint with the police or file a lawsuit, proving that her allegations were unfounded. Arai said he is considering lawsuits, but fears he will not receive a fair hearing.
Kuroiwa has filed a criminal complaint against Arai and is seeking damages in a civil lawsuit. He accused her of making false accusations against him to pressure him to change his mind about a hot spring bath policy.
Accusations of sexual assault sparked an angry reaction among male members of the assembly and a campaign of personal attacks against Arai, who had represented his place as an independent since 2011.
Fellow councilors voted for her in December last year, but the move was canceled by prefectural authorities. Local politicians, who accused her of making “outrageous” remarks and “harming the council’s dignity”, then gathered enough signatures to hold a recall vote.
Of the 2,835 residents who voted last week, 2,542 supported its removal.
Kusatsu, a city of 6,200 people northwest of Tokyo, is heavily dependent on tourism. On Friday, 51-year-old Arai said tourism officials, hoteliers and inn owners joined forces with members of the men’s assembly to force her out.
“Kusatsu is a tourist town, and most of the council members are hotel presidents or ryokan inns, and many of the residents are their employees, ”she said. “How can people refuse to sign a petition for a withdrawal vote when asked by their boss or employer?”
“It is a small town and it would have been easy to find out who refused to sign the petition or who voted for me to stay in my place. It is no exaggeration to say that the whole city is under surveillance. “