Flight attendants in Japan: 70% report being secretly photographed

The Japan Federation of Aviation Industry Unions released a survey on Thursday (9) revealing that around 70% of flight attendants in Japan reported that their photos were taken secretly. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said their photos were taken illegally, while 33% said they weren't sure but "believed" it happened.

The survey showed an increase of 9 percentage points from the previous survey in 2019. The Federation is calling for tougher penalties against the act, claiming it is a very serious matter.

Most cabin crew reported that face and full body photos had been taken, while others responded that they were being photographed in a skirt or had their chest or back photographed. Only 29% of flight attendants said they had not been secretly photographed. Meanwhile, more than half of respondents said they were subjected to allegedly dangerous conduct.

In a multiple-choice question, 66% responded that they faced “persistent complaints or reprimands” from passengers, while 54% encountered people “deliberately” not wearing a mask, despite safety rules. antivirus. Regarding how the issue was handled, 57% of flight attendants said they did nothing. Only a smaller percentage gave the offender a verbal warning or asked that the image be deleted, the survey found. Some flight attendants said they refrained from taking action because "it could offend the passenger” or who were “afraid” to draw attention to their vulnerable position in relation to customers.

The government is considering making upskirting (the act of photographing and filming underneath a skirt or dress without the victim's consent) and taking pictures of the genitals illegal punishable under the Penal Code. The online survey was conducted between November and December last year and received responses from 1,573 flight attendants who belong to member unions. Akira Naito, president of the union association, said tougher penalties will stop people from taking illicit photographs.