A Japanese court recently ruled that a cosmetic company and its president were responsible for the death of an employee and must now pay 150 million yen ( ₹90 crore approximately) as compensation to her family. The court also decreed that the president must resign from his position.
The employee, a 25-year-old woman, died by suicide after being verbally abused in the workplace in 2023.
Here’s what happened
In October 2023, Satomi, a woman employee of Tokyo-based cosmetics manufacturer D-UP Corporation died after a long coma following a suicide attempt. Local news outlet NHK reported that Satomi had joined D-UP in April 2021.
In December 2021, she was asked to join a meeting with the company president, Mitsuru Sakai. During the meeting, Satomi was scolded harshly for certain actions – including visiting a client without permission.
Called a ‘stray dog’
During the lengthy meeting, D-UP president Mitsuru Sakai used harsh words against the 25-year-old employee, even going so far as to call her a “stray dog”.
The verbal abuse did not end with the meeting. The following day, Satomi was told that “a weaker dog barks louder.”
After the meeting in December 2021, Satomi developed depression. She was diagnosed with depression in January 2022 and took a leave of absence from work.
Suicide attempt
In August 2022, Satomi attempted to take her own life. The suicide attempt left her unconscious. She died in October 2023.
Months before her death, in July 2023, her parents sued the company and its president, seeking damages. In May 2024, the Mita labor standards inspection office recognised a causal link between the president’s harassment, Satomi’s depression, and her death. This recognition allowed her death to be classified as a work-related accident.
Court’s judgement
The Tokyo District Court said in its ruling on September 9, 2025 that D-UP should admit that harassment from its president led to the employee’s death. The court also said that the president should resign while awarding 150 million yen as compensation to Satomi’s family.
Mitsuru Sakai, the president of D-UP, resigned on Wednesday. In a statement on its website, D-UP apologised to the victim’s family. “We apologize to our former employee who passed away and to her family. We will work to review and improve our internal systems and workplace environment,” it said.
