{"id":1238,"date":"2026-08-27T10:41:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T01:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2026-08-30T15:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T06:10:57","slug":"1238","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/archives\/1238","title":{"rendered":"[Last Mile Labor Union] Allegations of coming on to Director Miwa Ito and sexual violence against the spouse of a securities industry insider"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New information provided regarding Makoto Watanabe's womanizing scandal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the publication of our previous article, which covered Makoto Watanabe's relationships with women and his misappropriation of Last One Mile Inc. for personal use, new information has been provided to our union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One is the information that Mr. Watanabe made advances toward Ms. Miwa Ito, who worked under him for many years and currently serves as a Director and Executive Officer of Last One Mile Co., Ltd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, this story is not a one-sided speculation by a third party. Mr. Ito himself repeatedly told those around him that he was being hit on by Mr. Watanabe, and information to that effect was brought to our union by employees who heard the explanation directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other is even more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is critical information alleging that Mr. Watanabe approached the spouse of a person involved in securities practices at Last One Mile Inc., took her to a hotel, and engaged in a non-consensual sexual act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The relationship between the Representative Director and the incumbent director. The business relationship between a listed company and securities industry professionals. Sexual advances and sexual violence allegedly arising against the backdrop of those positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not an article making fun of a CEO's affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a critical corporate governance issue directly linked to the independence of the board of directors, executive personnel affairs, the relationship between the company and securities firms, psychological safety in the workplace, the success or failure of sex crimes, prosecutorial investigations, and above all, the lives of the workers employed at Last One Mile Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Director Miwa Ito herself explained to those around her that she was propositioned by Makoto Watanabe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lomgrp.co.jp\/officer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Executive Introduction of Last One Mile Inc.<\/a>According to Makoto Watanabe is Representative Director, Chairman and CEO, and Miwa Ito is Director and Executive Officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Ito is not a recent hire; having worked for many years as Mr. Watanabe's subordinate, he is a current director who, under the Companies Act, is also in a position to supervise the execution of duties by the representative director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the information received by our union, Mr. Watanabe was making personal advances toward Mr. Ito.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And Mr. Ito himself had reportedly told multiple people around him that he was being courted by Mr. Watanabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because Mr. Ito is talking about it to those around him himself does not make a workplace normal where employees are forced to hear about the private relationship between the representative director and a director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather, employees will have the following questions and concerns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>Did the personal relationship with Makoto Watanabe influence Miwa Ito's appointment as director, compensation, assigned duties, or personnel treatment?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can Mr. Ito independently supervise Mr. Watanabe's execution of duties, expenses, related-party transactions, issues with women, and other matters as a director?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What opinions did Mr. Ito express and how did he exercise his voting rights in the board of directors resolution regarding Mr. Watanabe?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does approval or disapproval of Mr. Watanabe affect employee promotions, demotions, assignments, compensation, and evaluations?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don't employees feel that if they don't smile and agree when made to listen to private conversations between the representative director and directors, they will face disadvantages?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aren't female employees other than Ms. Ito also working in fear of receiving unwanted sexual attention from Mr. Watanabe?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Company law does not uniformly prohibit directors from having personal relationships with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if there was sexual advances from the Representative Director to a current Director, and that fact became widely circulated within the company and could affect executive personnel, duties supervision, compensation, expenses, and internal investigations, it is entirely a company matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the board of directors turns into a romance consultation room and the relationship between the supervisors and the supervised is entangled with personal emotions, the company's internal control is unraveling from step one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Critical information about luring the spouse of a securities industry insider into a hotel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another piece of information received this time is not just a matter of flirting or an affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is information that Mr. Makoto Watanabe approached the spouse of a person related to the securities business of Last One Mile Inc., took her to a hotel, and engaged in a non-consensual sexual act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This person is not an employee of Last One Mile Inc. However, if Mr. Watanabe approached them leveraging his position as the representative director of a listed company or his business relationship with the company through his spouse, it cannot be said to be a purely private matter unrelated to the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the other party's perspective, if they refuse Mr. Watanabe's demand, anxiety may arise that it could impact their spouse's job, transactions with Last One Mile Co., Ltd., internal evaluations, and future projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When determining the existence of sexual violence, the Criminal Code does not focus solely on overt assault or intimidation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Article 176, Paragraph 1, Item 8 of the Penal Code: Causing [a person] to apprehend disadvantages, or causing them to be in apprehension thereof, due to influence based on a position in an economic or social relationship.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Under such circumstances, if a person is placed in a state where it is difficult to form, express, or fulfill an intention not to consent, and that state is exploited to commit a sexual act, the offense of non-consensual obscenity under Article 176 of the Penal Code becomes an issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In cases where sexual intercourse or the like takes place, Article 177 of the Penal Code concerning non-consensual sexual intercourse becomes an issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is necessary to confirm the status of the listed company's representative, the business relationship, the influence on the spouse's duties of the other party, the circumstances leading up to the hotel, the presence or absence of alcohol consumption, the words and actions at the time, the presence or absence of refusal, and post-act communication, based on objective records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The records to be checked are already clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>Message, call, social media, and other communication records between Mr. Makoto Watanabe and the opposing party.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hotel reservations, entry and exit procedures, security cameras, payments, and accommodation records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Records of restaurant, taxi, ride-sharing, and public transportation use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Corporate or affiliate corporate cards, expense reports, schedules, and travel records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>securities practice relationships, matters, change of person in charge, transaction conditions, and contact history.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether there has been any post-act contact, apology, silencing, intimidation, or provision of benefits to the counterparty or their spouse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consultations or reports received from other women or company-related persons regarding similar conduct.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The phrase \"private life\" is not a magic word that makes consent unnecessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The relationship between a company and its securities firm is not an invitation for a listed company representative to trample on the dignity of the other party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The scandal involving women revealed in the previous article has already spread to company funds and labor operations.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You must not look at these two pieces of information in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the previous article, we organized how the women's scandal surrounding Makoto Watanabe has already spread to the expenses, facilities, employees, business partners, and related corporations of Last One Mile Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/archives\/1231\" class=\"c-blogLink -internal\" data-style=\"slim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- <i class=\"c-blogLink__icon icon-link\" role=\"presentation\"><\/i> -->\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-blogLink__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"swl-svg-link __svg\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M21.2 30.2c-.5 0-1-.2-1.4-.6l-.7-.7c-2.3-2.3-3.5-5.3-3.5-8.5s1.2-6.2 3.5-8.5l7.1-7.1c2.3-2.3 5.3-3.5 8.5-3.5s6.2 1.2 8.5 3.5c4.7 4.7 4.7 12.3 0 17l-3.5 3.5c-.8.8-2 .8-2.8 0-.8-.8-.8-2 0-2.8l3.5-3.5c3.1-3.1 3.1-8.2 0-11.3-1.5-1.5-3.5-2.3-5.7-2.3-2.1 0-4.2.8-5.7 2.3l-7.1 7.1c-1.5 1.5-2.3 3.5-2.3 5.7s.8 4.2 2.3 5.7l.7.7c.8.8.8 2 0 2.8-.4.3-.9.5-1.4.5z\" \/><path d=\"M13.4 46.6c-3.1 0-6.1-1.2-8.5-3.5-2.3-2.3-3.5-5.3-3.5-8.5s1.2-6.2 3.5-8.5l3.5-3.5c.8-.8 2-.8 2.8 0 .8.8.8 2 0 2.8l-3.5 3.5c-1.5 1.5-2.3 3.5-2.3 5.7 0 2.1.8 4.2 2.3 5.7 3.1 3.1 8.2 3.1 11.3 0l7.1-7.1c1.5-1.5 2.3-3.5 2.3-5.7 0-2.1-.8-4.2-2.3-5.7l-.7-.7c-.8-.8-.8-2 0-2.8.8-.8 2-.8 2.8 0l.7.7c2.3 2.3 3.5 5.3 3.5 8.5s-1.2 6.2-3.5 8.5l-7.1 7.1c-2.3 2.3-5.3 3.5-8.4 3.5z\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-blogLink__text\">[Last One Mile Labor Union] Affair Scandal and Company Privatization<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>He had multiple girlfriends attend employee events and dinners with company associates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dining expenses for his girlfriend and family were processed as business expenses for Last One Mile Co., Ltd.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He used the company's meeting room for a private drinking party with the woman he was dating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At an employee's wedding, he hit on a former female employee who was about 24 years younger than him, causing discomfort to her and those around them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He repeatedly accompanied employees and business partners to cabaret clubs and touched women's bodies in front of them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During official employee training, he proudly explained \"how to pick up women.\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During working hours, employees were mobilized to distribute flyers for a nail salon managed by his girlfriend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They used a corporation with the girlfriend they were dating appointed as its representative as the destination for structured bond transfers and as a receptacle for subsidy-related projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He shifted the blame for his own ordering mistake onto the delivery side, had the items redelivered for free, and then boasted in front of the employees, \"I can easily turn a lie into the truth.\"<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This time, allegations of making unwanted advances toward a current director and suspected sexual violence against the spouse of a securities industry insider have been added as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is no longer a story about a single executive being loose with women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a systemic issue of corporate governance, where the representative director's personal desires are continuously bleeding into executive appointments, company expenses, corporate facilities, employee working hours, business partners, securities relations, external corporations, and the movement of funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Managing the number of romantic relationships is not advanced management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protecting employees, business partners, shareholders, and the company from the actions of the Representative Director is true management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can the Board of Directors, including Director Miwa Ito, independently supervise Makoto Watanabe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Article 355 of the Companies Act: Directors shall comply with laws and regulations, the articles of incorporation, and resolutions of shareholders meetings, and shall faithfully perform their duties for the stock company.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The party to whom directors faithfully perform their duties is not Mr. Makoto Watanabe as an individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is Last One Mile Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Article 362, Paragraph 2 of the Companies Act: The board of directors shall perform the following duties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(ii) supervision of the execution of the duties of directors<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3 Selection and Dismissal of Representative Directors<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The board of directors is neither a cheering squad for the representative director nor a circle of best friends hiding a romantic relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a statutory body that supervises the execution of duties by the representative director and dismisses them if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Ms. Miwa Ito was hit on by Mr. Watanabe and talked about it to people around her herself, Ms. Ito must at least be excluded from the investigation, deliberation, and resolution regarding the following matters concerning Mr. Watanabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>Investigation into Makoto Watanabe&#x27;s alleged sexual misconduct, allegations of sexual violence, and harassment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evaluation of Mr. Watanabe's eligibility as Representative Director and consideration of his dismissal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mr. Watanabe&#x27;s executive compensation, bonuses, stock options, and other benefits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expenses, contracts, and fund transfers related to Mr. Watanabe or the corporate entity associated with his romantic partner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company responses regarding spouses of securities professionals and reporting to securities firms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Personnel, evaluation, and assignment of the employee and other related parties who provided the information this time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If Mr. Watanabe is under investigation and Mr. Ito is a key person of interest, neither of them should be allowed to manage the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside directors who are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members and external experts independent from the company must conduct evidence preservation, interviews with relevant parties, fact-finding, and decisions on disciplinary action.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/archives\/1211\" class=\"c-blogLink -internal\" data-style=\"slim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- <i class=\"c-blogLink__icon icon-link\" role=\"presentation\"><\/i> -->\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-blogLink__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"swl-svg-link __svg\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\" viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M21.2 30.2c-.5 0-1-.2-1.4-.6l-.7-.7c-2.3-2.3-3.5-5.3-3.5-8.5s1.2-6.2 3.5-8.5l7.1-7.1c2.3-2.3 5.3-3.5 8.5-3.5s6.2 1.2 8.5 3.5c4.7 4.7 4.7 12.3 0 17l-3.5 3.5c-.8.8-2 .8-2.8 0-.8-.8-.8-2 0-2.8l3.5-3.5c3.1-3.1 3.1-8.2 0-11.3-1.5-1.5-3.5-2.3-5.7-2.3-2.1 0-4.2.8-5.7 2.3l-7.1 7.1c-1.5 1.5-2.3 3.5-2.3 5.7s.8 4.2 2.3 5.7l.7.7c.8.8.8 2 0 2.8-.4.3-.9.5-1.4.5z\" \/><path d=\"M13.4 46.6c-3.1 0-6.1-1.2-8.5-3.5-2.3-2.3-3.5-5.3-3.5-8.5s1.2-6.2 3.5-8.5l3.5-3.5c.8-.8 2-.8 2.8 0 .8.8.8 2 0 2.8l-3.5 3.5c-1.5 1.5-2.3 3.5-2.3 5.7 0 2.1.8 4.2 2.3 5.7 3.1 3.1 8.2 3.1 11.3 0l7.1-7.1c1.5-1.5 2.3-3.5 2.3-5.7 0-2.1-.8-4.2-2.3-5.7l-.7-.7c-.8-.8-.8-2 0-2.8.8-.8 2-.8 2.8 0l.7.7c2.3 2.3 3.5 5.3 3.5 8.5s-1.2 6.2-3.5 8.5l-7.1 7.1c-2.3 2.3-5.3 3.5-8.4 3.5z\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-blogLink__text\">[Last One Mile Labor Union] Board of Directors and Audit and Supervisory Committee Conceal Makoto Watanabe's Referral to Prosecutors<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Continuing to subject employees to sexual talk also destroys the work environment.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if Ms. Miwa Ito herself was telling people around her that Mr. Watanabe was hitting on her, the employees who were forced to listen to those stories did not necessarily have a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even after hearing about the personal relationship between the Representative Director and the Director, employees continue to receive work instructions, evaluations, personnel decisions, and treatment from both individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do I have to laugh? Do I have to keep it a secret? Which side do I have to take? Will knowing this affect future personnel decisions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such anxiety itself harms the working environment of employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no-harassment.mhlw.go.jp\/foundation\/harassment_list\/sexual-hara\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's guide to sexual harassment in the workplace<\/a>Therefore, it is explained that \"the workplace\" includes not only regular work locations, but also business trip destinations and banquets that are considered substantially an extension of official duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Securing, Etc. of Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment: An employer shall, in order to ensure that workers employed by them do not suffer any disadvantage in working conditions by reason of the said workers' response to sexual speech and behavior conducted in the workplace, or that the working environment of the said workers is not harmed by the said sexual speech and behavior, take necessary measures in terms of employment management, such as establishing the necessary system to respond to consultations from the said workers and to handle them appropriately.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees who witnessed Mr. Watanabe's sexual remarks and behavior, employees who were told private matters by Mr. Ito, employees who were asked to arrange dinners or hotels, and employees who were made to help with the business of his girlfriend are also workers whom the company should protect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is unacceptable to transfer employees who cooperated with a fact-finding investigation, lower their performance evaluations, and force them to resign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What the company needs to find out is not who talked to the labor union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is about what the representative director did to whom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When woman trouble leads to a prosecutorial investigation, employees must not be made to take the fall as the ones who carried it out.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Prosecutors&#x27; Union, part of a separate media outlet called &quot;Okami no Union,&quot; released<a href=\"https:\/\/globalunion-grp.org\/okami\/archives\/248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mamizuka Memo article<\/a>Well, the title of the document is stated as \"Overall Diagram of Fraud by Last One Mile Group Inc.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same document contained mentions of Last One Mile Inc., Mr. Makoto Watanabe, Mr. Satoshi Saito, related corporate entities, outsourcing costs, loans, illicit funds, advertising expenses, capital contributions, and tax effect accounting, and even indicated regarding the Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office and the Fukuoka High Public Prosecutors Office that there would be \"accusations, indictments, and arrests\" and that it would \"turn into a case of considerable scale.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the investigations by the National Tax Agency and the prosecutors are truly advancing toward the core of Last One Mile Inc., this recent women's scandal may not necessarily be kept outside the scope of the investigation as a private matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because connections with corporations, bank accounts, expenses, meeting rooms, business partners, and securities companies\u2014made through female companions and related parties\u2014intersect with the fund transfers and embezzlement of company assets that are already under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, if information regarding a sexual act lacking the consent of a spouse of a securities industry professional is brought to investigative authorities through a victim's report or objective materials, a separate investigation as a sex crime will be initiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In that case, the following materials held by the company or related parties will serve as important evidence for the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>Makoto Watanabe's company and personal devices, emails, chats, calls, and location information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Record of company executive schedules, business dinners, business trips, hotels, dispatch cars, and expenses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Business communications with securities companies or securities practitioners, and the history of changes in cases and persons in charge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What Miwa Ito told those around her, the timing, the recipient, and the subsequent executive personnel changes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sexual conduct witnessed or overheard by employees, use of company resources, and approaches made to related parties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data deletion, explanation changes, collusion, contact, provision of benefits, or intimidation carried out after the discovery of the issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The most dangerous thing is when management asks employees to give the same explanation, turning an individual representative's problem into a company-wide statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If someone conceals, forges, or alters evidence related to another person's criminal case, it raises an issue under Article 104 of the Penal Code concerning the destruction of evidence and related offenses. Furthermore, if someone pressures a person involved to change their testimony and indicates an intent to cause them harm, it also raises an issue under Article 105-2 of the Penal Code concerning intimidation of witnesses and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loyalty to the company does not mean aligning facts with the explanation of the Representative Director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep objective records, speak only about what you actually saw and heard, and do not pin criminal liability on innocent employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Specific actual harm incurred by last-mile workers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some employees might think that even if an executive's personal scandal is reported, it has no bearing on their own salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this issue directly impacts workers' lives in the following ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>Distrust that individuals with personal closeness to the Representative Director may receive preferential treatment in personnel affairs, compensation, promotions, assignments, and the appointment of directors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The risk that employees who learned about, witnessed, or were consulted on Mr. Watanabe's affair will face silencing or retaliatory personnel actions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fear among female employees, former employees, and business partners of being subjected to sexual interest from Mr. Watanabe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The risk of employees being mobilized as part of their work duties to arrange dinners, hotels, transportation, the mistress's corporation, and other matters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The burden of being asked by prosecutors, police, national tax authorities, audit firms, and others for interviews, document submissions, and device checks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of trust from business partners and securities companies leading to contract suspensions, financing difficulties, decreased sales, and business downsizing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Impact on bonuses, pay raises, employment, and the company's survival due to stock prices, maintenance of listing, and deterioration of relations with major shareholders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The risk that management evades responsibility and only the ordinary employees who received instructions are treated as the perpetrators of expense fraud, record alteration, or false explanations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no reason for workers to sacrifice their employment, credit, physical and mental health, and even criminal safety just to protect the private lives of management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The workers at Last One Mile Co., Ltd. are not firefighters to put out Makoto Watanabe's woman problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Records to be preserved by employees and related parties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important for employees and others involved in this matter not to coordinate their accounts with others, but to organize the facts they actually saw and heard, along with the dates and times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of unilaterally deleting, altering, or removing originals held by the company, please request their preservation through appropriate channels such as a labor union, a lawyer, a reporting hotline independent of the company, the police, or other appropriate means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-check_list\">\n<li>The date and time, location, content of the statements, and people present when Miwa Ito stated that she was being hit on by Makoto Watanabe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company chats, calendars, dinner, business trip, expense, and pickup records showing the personal relationship between Mr. Watanabe and Mr. Ito.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Record of resolutions regarding the appointment of Mr. Ito as a director, his promotion, remuneration, assigned duties, and matters concerning Mr. Watanabe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Records of Mr. Watanabe\u2019s communications with, dinners with, hotel stays for, transportation arrangements for, and payments to the spouses of securities industry professionals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company expenses, corporate cards, entertainment expenses, business trip expenses, or expense sharing through affiliated companies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Records of Mr. Watanabe's sexual remarks, approaches to women, employee training, business dinners, or entertaining clients.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Records of consultation with directors, audit and supervisory committee members, the legal department, accounting, human resources, internal audit, or the independent auditor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transfers, changes in evaluation, demotions, reprimands, requests for resignation, and other unfavorable treatment received after consultation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Instructions, meetings, emails, or chats in which you were asked to unify your explanation after the issue was discovered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Records of being asked to delete or alter devices, messages, expense documents, and other materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Please separate and organize the records into emotional evaluations and actually seen and heard words or events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no need to align your memory with someone else's. It is precisely when multiple independent records match later that they lead to objective verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open Questions to Mr. Makoto Watanabe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-num_circle\">\n<li>Did you ask Miwa Ito, a longtime subordinate and currently a Director and Managing Executive Officer, for a personal relationship or sexual favors?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Please clarify the time, place, method, and specific remarks used when you made advances toward Mr. Ito.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you aware of the fact that Mr. Ito was telling people around him that he was being hit on by Mr. Watanabe?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did your personal relationship or personal closeness with Mr. Ito influence his appointment as a director, compensation, assigned duties, promotion, evaluation, or other treatment?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have Mr. Watanabe's own compensation, expenses, related-party transactions, document referral to prosecutors, women-related issues, or other matters ever been deliberated at board meetings attended by Mr. Ito?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you hit on the spouse of a person involved in securities operations at Last One Mile Inc.?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you take a minor to a hotel and engage in sexual acts?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you obtain clear and freely given consent for the sexual act from the other party?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Were you aware of any situation where the other party or their spouse was concerned that their business relationship with Last One Mile Inc. would be adversely affected?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you have the hotel, dining, transportation, and other expenses paid for by Last One Mile Inc., related companies, or a corporate card?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the act, did you offer silence, an apology, money, convenience, or contractual benefits or disadvantages to the other party, their spouse, securities-related persons, or others?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you preserving all records related to this matter, including devices, communications, hotels, expenses, ride-hailing, and company calendars?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you reported this matter to the Board of Directors, the Audit and Supervisory Committee, the Legal and Compliance Department, the accounting auditor, and the relevant securities companies?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you accept an investigation by external experts independent of Mr. Watanabe and, if necessary, the submission of materials to the police and prosecutors?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open letter to Director Miwa Ito<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-num_circle\">\n<li>Have you ever been asked by Mr. Makoto Watanabe for a personal relationship or a sexual relationship?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you tell employees or other people around you that Mr. Watanabe was hitting on you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you willing to explain to the company's independent investigation whether you welcomed Mr. Watanabe's advances, were perplexed by them, or felt they were difficult to reject from your professional standpoint?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you reported your personal relationship with Mr. Watanabe or his approach to you to the Board of Directors, the Audit and Supervisory Committee, the Legal Department, the Human Resources Department, or anyone else?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you attend the board of directors meeting to discuss Mr. Watanabe's executive compensation, expenses, related-party transactions, referral of documents to prosecutors, issues with women, and other matters?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you recuse yourself from voting or expressing an opinion on the agenda item where your personal relationship with Mr. Watanabe became an issue?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Were you aware of Mr. Watanabe's words and actions toward other women, his use of company expenses and company facilities for his dating partners, the mobilization of employees, and other matters?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When did you become aware of the material information concerning the spouse of a person involved in securities practice?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As a director, do you request from Mr. Watanabe an independent investigation, preservation of evidence, victim support, and employee protection?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you state clearly that you will not search for, silence, or treat disadvantageously the employees who have knowledge of this information?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open Questions to the Board of Directors and Audit &amp; Supervisory Committee of Last1Mile Co., Ltd.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-num_circle\">\n<li>Are you aware of reports that Makoto Watanabe was making personal advances toward Director Miwa Ito?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you investigate the fact that Mr. Ito had been telling the same thing to employees and other people around him?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will you investigate the impact that the relationship between Mr. Watanabe and Mr. Ito had on executive personnel changes, compensation, division of duties, voting, and job supervision?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will both Mr. Watanabe and Mr. Ito be excluded from the selection for this investigation, hearings, evidence management, fact-finding, and disciplinary decision-making?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have information regarding sexual acts lacking consent involving the spouse of someone in the securities industry?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regarding this information, while respecting the other party's wishes and safety, will you conduct a fact-check by an independent external expert?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you issued a litigation hold, including instructions to suspend the deletion of records, for hotels, communications, expenses, calendars, ride-sharing, communications with brokerages, and other records?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you investigated whether the title, business relationships, expenses, or facilities of Last One Mile Inc. were used in the act in question?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did you report it to the related securities company in a way that does not cause harm to their representative or their spouse?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will you conduct a cross-sectional investigation into Mr. Watanabe's words and actions toward other women, dining expenses, facility usage, employee training, and the use of external corporate entities?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you checked the number of consultations and response results regarding issues involving women, sexual harassment, and other matters previously submitted by employees?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you prohibit retaliation\u2014such as transfers, demotions, changes in performance evaluations, or dismissals\u2014against individuals who seek counseling, witnesses, informants, and those who cooperate with investigations?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you considered the impact of this matter on the eligibility of the Representative Director, the independence of the Board of Directors, internal controls, timely disclosure, and the maintenance of the listing?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will you explain the investigation results, those responsible, disciplinary actions, victim support, and recurrence prevention measures to employees, shareholders, business partners, major shareholders, accounting auditors, and the market?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open questions to the police, prosecutors, and national tax authorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-num_circle\">\n<li>In the ongoing investigation into Last One Mile Co., Ltd., have you verified the use of company funds, affiliated corporations, bank accounts, and business partners in connection with Makoto Watanabe\u2019s relationships with women?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you interviewing the directors, including Miwa Ito, as well as executives, employees, and others regarding Mr. Watanabe\u2019s sexual remarks and behavior and his misuse of company resources?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have information regarding sexual acts lacking consent involving the spouse of someone in the securities industry?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With regard to this information, will you conduct an investigation prioritizing the safety of the other party above all else, from the perspective of non-consensual indecent acts or non-consensual sexual intercourse?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you preserve company executive schedules, communications, hotels, dispatch, expenses, corporate cards, and contact records with securities firms?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will you check for any cover-ups, witness coordination, evidence destruction, intimidation, or retaliation directed at related parties by company management?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will you investigate by distinguishing between ordinary employees who merely followed instructions and individuals who gave instructions, obtained profits, destroyed evidence, or used intimidation?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will you strictly manage investigative information, victim information, scheduled interviews, and other details without leaking them to the press club or related parties?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Measures Sought by the Last Mile Labor Union<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-num_circle\">\n<li>Last One Mile Co., Ltd. shall immediately place this matter on the official agenda of the Board of Directors and the Audit and Supervisory Committee.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exclude Makoto Watanabe and Miwa Ito from the selection of the contractor for this investigation, evidence management, interviewing related parties, fact-finding, and disciplinary decision-making.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conduct an external investigation by lawyers independent of the company, experts in supporting victims of sexual violence, labor relations specialists, digital investigation experts, and others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give top priority to the other party's wishes, safety, privacy, and desire for support, and ensure that neither the company nor Mr. Watanabe makes direct contact.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preserve the devices, communications, calendars, expenses, hotel and vehicle dispatch records held by Mr. Watanabe, Mr. Ito, related executives, the secretarial office, accounting, legal, human resources, and others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conduct a comprehensive re-investigation regarding Mr. Watanabe's past issues with women, sexually suggestive remarks, use of company expenses, use of company facilities, mobilization of employees, and utilization of related corporate entities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To examine the impact of the personal relationship between the Representative Director and a Director on executive personnel affairs, remuneration, evaluation, resolutions, and internal investigations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prohibit searches, silencing, transfers, demotions, dismissals, and other retaliatory actions against consultants, witnesses, informants, and investigation cooperators.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish a consultation service that employees can use independently from the company, and provide attorney fees, medical, psychological support, and other necessary assistance at the company's expense.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify whether there has been any impact on business relationships with securities industry professionals, and, if necessary, report the matter appropriately to the other company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If facts constituting a crime are confirmed, the company itself shall submit materials to the police or prosecutors and shall not obstruct the reporting of damage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the private use of company funds or company resources is confirmed, demand full repayment from Mr. Watanabe and other beneficiaries, make tax corrections, and pursue executive liability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To specifically explain the survey results, the status of evidence preservation, disciplinary actions, victim support, and preventive measures to employees, shareholders, business partners, major shareholders, accounting auditors, and the market.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What needs to be protected is not Makoto Watanabe's romantic relationships, but the last-mile workers.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the previous article, we revealed that Makoto Watanabe's romantic involvements have extended to company expenses, conference rooms, employees, business partners, and external corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, allegations have emerged regarding his advances toward Miwa Ito, a director who has been his subordinate for many years, as well as allegations of sexual assault against the spouse of a securities industry professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if the board of directors believes that the company has nothing to do with it because it is Mr. Watanabe's private life, they do not understand their supervisory responsibility under the Companies Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Private relationships with current directors affect executive appointments and oversight, actions concerning a securities professional's spouse become tied to the company's business relationships, employees are forced to listen, mobilized to arrange dinners and expenses, and finally questioned by investigative authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You cannot involve the company and the workers to this extent, and then retreat into your private life the moment a problem arises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Mamizuka memo predicted, if the prosecutor's investigation expands to Last One Mile Inc., before shifting the responsibility to general employees, please investigate the relationship between the representative director and directors, actions toward securities personnel, company expenses, devices, hotels, and the corporate entity and accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protecting the company does not mean covering up Makoto Watanabe's relationships with women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protecting the company means protecting the dignity of women, protecting employees who speak the truth, not shifting criminal responsibility onto workers who were forced to follow orders, and taking Last One Mile Inc. back from being the private property of a single representative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not make workers act as damage control for scandals with women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-button is-style-btn_line\"><a href=\"\/en\/list\/lastonemileunion\/\" class=\"swell-block-button__link\"><span>Last Mile Labor Union Home Page<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u6e21\u8fba\u8aa0\u6c0f\u306e\u5973\u6027\u554f\u984c\u306b\u65b0\u305f\u306a\u60c5\u5831\u63d0\u4f9b\u3000 \u6e21\u8fba\u8aa0\u6c0f\u306e\u5973\u6027\u554f\u984c\u3068\u682a\u5f0f\u4f1a\u793e\u30e9\u30b9\u30c8\u30ef\u30f3\u30de\u30a4\u30eb\u306e\u79c1\u7269\u5316\u3092\u53d6\u308a\u4e0a\u3052\u305f\u524d\u56de\u8a18\u4e8b [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lastonemileunion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1238"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1252,"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions\/1252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/minnanounion.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}