Japanese department stores ‘rethinks’ making women wear badges when on their period

The Independent reports that a Japanese department store is “rethinking” making female employees to wear badges to show that they are on their period.

Female employees at Daimaru Umeda are told  to wear a badge featuring manga character Seiri-chan to highlight that they are menstruating.

Seiri-chan is a character from the comic series Little Miss P. by Ken Koyama. The character is also known as Miss Period.

In the comics, Miss Period appears in women’s lives once a month. Other characters include Mr Libido, Mr Virginity, and Little Miss PMS.

Daimaru Umeda store in Osaka said the policy was meant to encourage empathy among co-workers, who could recognise they may need extra help or need to take a break.

The management said it never intended to “share the menstrual information” with customers.

Although not compulsory, the badge policy was actually suggested by employees themselves when the “Women’s Wellbeing” section was opened in the store.

Products sold in the section include menstrual cups, lingerie, traditional Chinese medicine, cosmetics and skincare.

However, the store has since received “many complaints from the public,” according to one source from the store itself.

“Some of them concerned harassment and that was definitely not our intention. We’re reconsidering plans now.”

【オープン取材】大丸梅田店の「ミチカケ」が導入している“生理バッジ”は人気漫画「生理ちゃん」が目印。普段から付けている紙のプレートを裏返しにするだけで着用できます。着用の判断はスタッフに委ねているそう。https://t.co/uEaHqxYmm0#ミチカケ pic.twitter.com/eMJeysEiyu

— WWD JAPAN (@wwd_jp) 22 November 2019