Overview
- The Mie Prefectural Assembly unanimously approved the ordinance on Friday, October 16, 2026, and the measure takes effect on April 1, 2027.
- The ordinance defines high‑severity customer harassment as repeated, unjustified demands for apologies or meetings, requests for money or favors, obscene speech, and stalking behavior.
- Under the new procedure, businesses can ask an expert review committee to investigate alleged cases and the governor may issue a prohibition order after hearing the panel’s findings.
- If a person ignores a prohibition order the prefecture can refer the case to police and prosecutors, and convicted offenders face up to ¥500,000 in fines or detention.
- The measure departs from earlier non‑punitive local rules in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Gunma and Aichi and follows Kuwana City’s practice of name publication, making Mie’s law a possible model for other local governments.