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| Alleged ‘Customer Harassment’ Stirs Debate After Expo 2025 Confrontation |
Things took a troubling turn at Expo 2025 Osaka this week when a video surfaced showing what looks like a case of “customer harassment” – and it’s raising eyebrows across Japan.
The expo, which has already attracted over 700,000 visitors since opening, is meant to look to the future. But on April 17, at around 4:00 p.m., an incident that seemed firmly rooted in the present went viral.
A man was seen angrily yelling at a security guard near the west gate, demanding he get down on his knees. Yep, you read that right – “get down on your knees.”
An onlooker, who managed to film the moment, described it as uncomfortable to witness. The witness said they couldn’t hear everything, but the words “get down on your knees” were clear.
The security guard, looking as though he had no choice, obliged. Meanwhile, other nearby staff were also visibly taken aback, with the witness remarking, “This is customer harassment.”
Now, here’s where things get interesting. The term "customer harassment," or kasuhara in Japanese, refers to behaviour where customers make unreasonable demands, use abusive language, or even engage in physical violence toward service staff.
It’s an issue that’s been taken seriously in Japan for years. In fact, a 2017 study revealed that 70% of union members had experienced some form of harassment from customers. And, more recently, businesses have been given clearer guidelines on how to handle troublesome customers.
In the case of the security guard at Expo 2025, the man allegedly demanded that the guard perform dogeza – the act of prostrating oneself on the ground as a sign of deep apology or submission.
Not long after, the man's family arrived on the scene, and while they didn’t necessarily apologise directly, the witness noted that they “did look apologetic.”
But here’s the catch – whether this was really a case of harassment depends on exactly what went down before the guard knelt.
Lawyer Masaki Kamei pointed out that it’s possible the guard simply chose to kneel of his own volition, perhaps as an over-the-top apology, rather than being verbally or physically coerced. To know for sure, we'd need more details about the conversation leading up to that moment.
Whether the security guard was forced into that position or did it out of his own sense of duty remains to be seen.
However, it’s clear that this incident has sparked an ongoing conversation about the balance between customer service and the wellbeing of employees.
With Expo 2025 expected to draw even more visitors during the Golden Week holidays, this could be a sign that the event's organisers will need to pay closer attention to how their staff are treated by the crowds.
While some online are calling it a clear case of harassment, others are more cautious, urging that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions without the full picture. But one thing’s for certain: it’s a story that’s getting plenty of people talking.