Japan’s army issues rare apology over sexual harassment case

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — In a rare admission of sexual harassment in Japan’s military, its army chief apologized to a former soldier for suffering caused by a group of servicemembers. Yoshihide Yoshida, head of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, said Thursday that an internal investigation found evidence that several servicemen had been involved in the case brought by former soldier Rina Gonoi last month. The investigation is ongoing and further details, including the assailants and their punishment, were not yet released Thursday. In a country where gender inequality remains high, sexual harassment is often disregarded. But Japanese women have started to speak up, including in the government and the film industry.