Judge gets suspended 6-month prison term for harassing woman

Friday 08th August, 02:21 PM JST

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cwhite at 07:52 PM JST - 8th August

I'm sure the judge has much dirt on people in higher places. Can't risk him getting upset and opening his mouth.
dontpanic at 08:03 PM JST - 8th August

cwhite - Im sure youre right, but what goes around, comes around, they're sure to have more on him. Now the dreaded 'I' word is in the public domain, I imagine it's a done deal and he'll go quietly.
MeanRingo at 08:49 PM JST - 8th August

So people go to jail here for having a gram of pot but if you commit a crime where you harass women and debase the entire legal system of a country, you get off scott-free? Where is the logic. One a victim-less crime the other makes victims of us all. hmmmmm... way to go Japan.
jimmystone at 10:35 PM JST - 8th August

AGAIN Another criminal judge only gets a slap on the wrist.
seansezso at 10:53 PM JST - 8th August

gaol gaol gaol. So unimaginative. I would wager he would much rather spend the six months, and even more, in gaol and come out career intact.
Nordon at 11:05 PM JST - 8th August

I'd urge making an example of him, in order to strengthen the integrity of the justice system, and give fair warning to any other public servant that such behavior is not tolerated.
carlosgodoy1 at 01:28 AM JST - 9th August

What will happen to this guy?

Career finished, which means much more to him than it may do any Westerner or to anyone else in the world. Family's Name finished. So his Family name here has that much more impact here in Japan (i.e., more than Korea or China?).

Is it simply that Japanese society allows men in power to get out of any punishment?

I wonder if a majority Japanese agree that he should be actually punished?
MeanRingo at 06:22 AM JST - 9th August

carlosgodoy said: I wonder if a majority Japanese agree that he should be actually punished?

I wonder too. I always find it amazing when I ask Japanese people about the punishment a person should get for a variety of hypothetical crimes. It seems that many (perhaps most) Japanese are extremely lenient when it comes to punishment. Whether this is just the regular apathy to being asked any sort of hypothetical question or a genuine leniency I don't know. It does seem odd though. I guess it is their justice system (especially in the case of the judge above) and they will mis-run it as they see fit.
Molenir at 07:42 AM JST - 9th August

I suspect your right. Its only when they themselves are the victims, that they feel the punishment isn't right.
LIBERTAS at 09:08 AM JST - 9th August

I still think a whack up the side of the head with a rolled up newspaper, along with a fine and a supervised period of probation would have done this case justice.
martyman at 02:02 PM JST - 9th August

There is a moral with story, with power their is leniency(as long as you are a Japanese citizen). It is the same story line as a while back, a police chief that text-stalked a woman. He gave an apology and had his hand slapped for it.
seansezso at 03:02 PM JST - 9th August

I think many here just dont want to see how powerfully this man has been punished, so they can truimphantly point fingers at Japan.

I'd urge making an example of him

That is exactly what they did. For 16 mails apparently saying "I am watching you", his career is over and his reputation destroyed. I am sure other public officials are well aware of how serious that punishment is. I dont see how the addition of six months jail time is going to prevent a short spate of harassing mails from the public service lads to the lasses they fancy any more than what has already been done.
martyman at 03:36 PM JST - 9th August

With that, Seanzso, I am pretty sure the emails were more graphic than " I am watching you ". To have an investigation that follows leads to a fake name and then identifying Shimoyama as the culprit, it is probably more sinister than published. The punishment should fit the crime. It was his choice to cyber stalk this lady.
Kijimuna at 10:05 AM JST - 13th August

Seansezo, martyman, so which is it? "I am watching you" or worse?
mindovermatter at 08:20 AM JST - 14th August

"and that the crime was cunning and vicious."

Come on now... He sent some emails...Yes, nail him for harassment... This kind of analysis, opinion keeps getting applied to progressively and progressively lesser offenses...Pretty soon, police are stereotyping people for illegal bicycle parking and using this kind language to support their case...

"He maliciously parked his bicycle, and it was cunning and vicious."