Measures against parliamentary harassment

In order to prevent harassment by council members against other council members and town employees, Niseko Town has established the "Niseko Town Code of Conduct for the Prevention of Harassment" based on the ordinance (note). As elected representatives of the townspeople, council members will always maintain high ethical standards, adhere to this code of conduct, and strive to prevent and eradicate harassment.

(Note) "Niseko Town Ordinance on the Prevention and Eradication of Harassment" (enforced on April 1, 2025)
The text of the ordinance is also included in the guidelines below.
　

The following cases will be made public pursuant to Article 8 of the ordinance regarding cases where a complaint was received by the chairman pursuant to Article 5 of the ordinance, where harassment was confirmed and measures such as discontinuance were taken, etc. (In accordance with Article 9 of the ordinance, due consideration will be given to protecting the privacy of victims and other related parties.)

1. Overview of the Case
Harassment by town council members against the mayor and other town officials during general assembly questions

2. Name of the harasser
Maehara Koshoku, Town Council Member(Former lawmaker, as of August 29, 2020)

3. Facts
According to "About the Certification of Harassment" (hereinafter, PDF file)
On June 19, 2025, Representative Takaue Maehara made the following remarks during a general question session in the Diet:
Confirmation that this constitutes moral harassment and power harassment

4. Measures taken by the assembly to stop harassment
On July 22, 2025, the Chairman of the House of Councillors issued a stern written warning to Representative Maehara Takaue regarding the following matters:
(1) Stop the harassing behavior
(2) To prevent future harassment,
Respect the position of others and refrain from slanderous or threatening language
In addition, we will respect the dignity of individuals and strive to comply with laws and regulations, including the protection of personal information.
Through these measures, we will work to prevent the recurrence of harassment.
(3) Comply with Niseko Town guidelines for preventing harassment.
Strictly refrain from any words or actions that damage the dignity or honor of the Diet or its members.
In addition, to understand harassment and acquire the ethics appropriate for a member of parliament.

5. Special Notes
Although the contents and materials of the general assembly meeting held to investigate and confirm this case were confidential information, Councilman Takaue Maehara made them public on social media and elsewhere. He also recorded the contents of the meeting without permission and leaked them to the public. The Chairman has issued a stern written warning to Maehara for these illegal acts, as mentioned in 4. above.