Labor minister disagree with the idea of banning high heels. (Image via Japan Today)

Labor Minister Opposes Banning Female Dress Codes with High Heels After #KuToo Movement

TOKYO – Yumi Ishikawa started the #KuToo hashtag, and it went viral on various social media platforms. Due to its popularity, an international organization, change.org, helped the community to held #KuToo festival in Tokyo. Both of the hashtag and festivals were heard by the minister, but he opposes the idea.

On Wednesday, the labor minister stated that he won’t be supporting the idea to ban dress code that forces women to wear high heels at work. Takumi Nemoto, the minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare stated during a Diet committee session that he thinks women wearing high heels are necessary in workplaces. However, he didn’t make a further explanation about the necessity of wearing high heels for women.

Nemoto also stated that in order to respond Kanako Otsuji statement. Otsuji said that forcing women to wear high heels at work is “outdated”. Otsuji is a member of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Not only it is outdated, Otsuji also stated that by forcing women to wear heels at work will cause harassment. For instance, high heels would make women feet hurt. In response to that, Nemoto said that it is only wrong if women are still forced to wear high heels if their feet are hurt.

However, Emiko Takagai, a senior vice minister for Nemoto, has a different opinion from Nemoto. She stated that women should not be forced to wear high heels.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/business/labor-minister-opposes-banning-female-dress-codes-with-high-heels