DW: (standing and applauding for days!)
A prefecture in central Japan is taking aim at rude customers with what could be the country's first law that actually fines them for bad behavior. Mie Prefecture unveiled a draft ordinance Friday that would allow fines of up to 500,000 yen, or about $3,220, for customers who harass or verbally abuse employees at shops and restaurants. The rule targets people who act abusively without a good reason, go on for extended periods, or come back and do it again.
Under the proposed system, business owners could file a complaint with the prefectural government, which would then have a panel of experts review the situation. Japan has seen a rise in what's called "kasu-hara," a slang term for customer harassment, with more workers leaving jobs or getting sick because of it. Some experts blame a deeply ingrained cultural idea that the customer is always right, which they say has encouraged some people to push staff around. Separately, a national law requiring businesses and local governments to put protections in place against customer abuse is set to take effect in October.
Source: Mainichi