Overview
- A prefecture-appointed team said roughly 1,000 messages sought sexual relationships and commented on appearance, sent to at least four subordinates via Line and a private email address.
- Investigators confirmed groping at social events, including a hand inside a skirt and touching a staff member’s buttocks and thigh.
- The report described the victims’ suffering as extremely severe and characterized the former governor’s responsibility as grave.
- Tatsuji Sugimoto admitted sending the messages, citing affection and intoxication, apologized, denied any recollection of groping, and said he will respond in writing without holding a press conference.
- The probe surveyed about 6,000 employees after an April 2025 tip, with a lawyer saying the behavior spanned around two decades, and Sugimoto resigned in December.