Society

Japanese store reviews 'menstruation badges' for staff after outcry

Nov 30 (SBS) - A Japanese department store is reconsidering a plan for employees to have the choice to wear badges when they're menstruating.

The plan was originally aimed at fostering sympathy among co-workers but triggered a public outcry.

The Daimaru Umeda department store in Osaka said on Thursday that it had hoped to encourage bonding by having menstruating staff wear a badge featuring an existing manga character named "Seiri Chan" - loosely translated as "Miss Period."

"We received many complaints from the public. Some of them concerned harassment, and that was definitely not our intention. We're reconsidering plans now," said a male executive who declined to be named.

A spokesperson was not immediately available.

The plan had been inspired by a suggestion from an employee and had been timed to coincide with the launch of a new range of "women's wellbeing" which would have a dedicated section in-store from November 22.

Wearing the badge would be optional, not compulsory, under the plan. A company executive says they are not immediately moving to scrap the plan but are revisiting ways to adapt it to foster communication between employees, rather than have staff be the target of hostile customer reactions.

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