Governor Knock Yokoyama submitted a letter of resignation to the vice governor of Osaka from his hospital bed on Tuesday in response to charges he sexually harassed a university student. Prosecutors raided Yokoyama’s office and questioned him about the harassment allegations on Monday.
The Osaka District Court last week ordered Yokoyama to pay $107,000 in damages to his accuser, a 21-year old woman who had worked on the governor’s re-election campaign, who claimed Yokoyama fondled her in a van. Women’s groups had rallied in Osaka demanding Yokoyama’s resignation since the ruling against him.
The case against Governor Yokoyama has been a landmark case in the battle against sexual harassment in Japan, bringing serious and international attention to the issue. The damages issued against Yokoyama were a record amount for a sexual harassment case in Japan.
