A department store where staff could wear badges if they were on their period has said it will “rethink” the policy after it sparked complaints.
The badges were introduced at the Osaka Umeda branch of Daimaru in Japan last month and were intended to allow staff extra help or longer breaks.
They featured a manga character named Seiri Chan, loosely translated as Miss Period.
“It was never the intention to share the menstrual information with customers,” a spokeswoman told the BBC.
A male executive, who asked not to be named, added: "We received many complaints from the public. Some of them concerned harassment, and that was definitely not our intention. We're reconsidering plans now."
The backlash comes as cases of workplace harassment come under the spotlight in Japan amid a shrinking workforce and changing values about gender roles and work-life balance.
Companies are increasingly and publicly being criticised for bullying and gender discrimination.
The Daimaru executive said the store had not intended to make the badge compulsory.
Additional reporting by Reuters
