An All Nippon Airways (NH) captain has been sentenced to prison after a Tokyo court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a female flight attendant during a domestic layover in Takamatsu (TAK), Kagawa Prefecture.
The ruling has renewed scrutiny over workplace hierarchy and reporting culture within the aviation industry.
The assault took place on October 10, 2023. During the trial, the flight attendant testified that she felt unable to reject the captain’s repeated advances because she feared doing so could negatively affect her career at All Nippon Airways.
The court accepted her testimony and dismissed the captain’s explanation.
Tokyo Court Sentences ANA Captain
According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, Tokyo District Court sentenced 44-year-old ANA captain Ryota Mise to 20 months in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a young female flight attendant during the overnight layover.
The pair had met the day before while operating a flight to Takamatsu. After completing their duties, they joined other crew members for dinner before returning to the hotel together.
According to the court, Mise repeatedly grabbed the flight attendant’s buttocks while walking back, first on a public street and later inside a convenience store. The court determined that the contact occurred without her consent.
The flight attendant told the court she did not resist because Mise was her captain, and she feared opposing a senior colleague could jeopardize her future at the airline. The judge accepted that explanation.
Judge Takao Okawa also rejected Mise’s claim that he believed the touching was consensual, describing the victim’s testimony as “convincing and highly credible” before delivering the guilty verdict.
Internal Investigation and Criminal Case
The flight attendant initially reported the incident to All Nippon Airways, prompting the airline to conduct an internal investigation.
During that process, Mise admitted to touching the flight attendant. According to PYOK, ANA allowed him to continue flying after reviewing his explanation.
The matter was later reported to police, leading to Mise’s arrest and a criminal investigation.
Prosecutors requested a prison sentence of two and a half years. After considering the evidence, the Tokyo court imposed a 20-month sentence instead.
Court Highlights Workplace Hierarchy
The case also brought attention to the impact of workplace hierarchy within the aviation sector, where junior employees may hesitate to challenge senior personnel.
The flight attendant said her fear that rejecting the captain could damage her career explained why she did not resist. The court accepted that reasoning.
Aviation safety experts have previously warned that excessive deference to senior crew members can discourage employees from reporting misconduct or raising safety concerns.
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Similar Workplace Culture Concerns
The verdict comes after another incident that raised questions about workplace culture in Japan’s airline industry.
Japan Airlines (JL) faced public criticism after a senior flight attendant exceeded the legal alcohol limit before a domestic flight to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).
The crew member failed to report the results of a mandatory pre-flight breath test conducted using her assigned testing device. Although junior colleagues reminded her to submit the results, they did not escalate the matter after she dismissed their concerns.
A subsequent company-administered test at the airport revealed the violation, delaying the flight. Following the incident, Japan Airlines prohibited flight attendants from consuming alcohol during layovers, while the airline’s chief executive accepted a temporary reduction in pay.