Over half of female VC entrepreneurs have been sexually harassed in Japan: “You’re a girl, just get married instead of trying to start a business”, “I’ll pay you $50k to have sex with me”, “I’ll invest in you if you become my mistress for $10k”

>TRANSLATION:

>**52.4% of female entrepreneurs have experienced sexual harassment in the past year**

>In July, the results of an Internet survey on the current state of the startup industry were released.

>What exactly is happening in an industry that is expected to be a catalyst for the Japanese economy?

>**Just wanting to “solve social issues” by starting a business…**

>A woman who says she was the victim of sexual harassment gave an interview under her real name, saying that she hopes the current situation in the industry will change. This is Miho Matsusaka, who was aiming to start up a counseling and other business. When she learned of the reality that the deteriorating relationship between husband and wife was affecting their work performance, she wanted to help solve the problem.

>***”In the U.S., when couples have problems, they go to couples counseling, but in Japan, it is neglected and the divorce rate is increasing. We wanted to develop our business with the hope of spreading the practice in Japan.”***
***- Miho Matsusaka***

>However, when Ms. Matsusaka was explaining her business plan to investors, she was met with words that made her doubt his ears.

>***”A well-known private investor in the industry said to me, “I’ll invest in you and pay you one million yen a month to be my mistress.”***

>***He did not even look at the business plan I had prepared. I was shocked that he would not invest in me unless I did such a thing.”***
***- Miho Matsusaka***

>She has since been repeatedly harassed in her interactions with other investors, including requests for sexual favors.

>***”I met up with him to show him my business plan, and we ended up having dinner there, and he suddenly kissed me afterwards. Even if I had said I wanted to talk about my work, he would talk as if he were pushing for a date. If it was just a refusal to invest, I would think, ‘I’ll give it one more try,’ but when it was a demand for sexual favors, it broke my spirit.”***
***- Miho Matsusaka***

>She tried to talk to her acquaintances in the industry, but they told her that she was lying and trying to make them look bad or that she was being paranoid, and she became increasingly isolated.

>As her distrust of the industry grew, symptoms of depression appeared, and she had no choice but to give up on the idea of starting a business itself.

All Japanese entrepreneurial forces out of Japan!

They should force the male entrepreneurs to stay in their offices!