Tokyo, Japan: An All Nippon Airways (ANA) captain has been sentenced to prison by a Japanese court after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a junior flight attendant.
On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, the Tokyo District Court sentenced 44-year-old Ryota Mise to one year and eight months (20 months) in prison. The ruling concluded a high-profile case involving the abuse of professional authority and non-consensual indecent assault.
According to court findings, the incident occurred before dawn on October 10, 2023, in the city of Takamatsu, located in Kagawa Prefecture.
Mise and the female victim had met for the first time just the previous day during a flight they both worked. Following a group meal with other crew members, Mise repeatedly groped the flight attendant, touching her buttocks and genitals over her clothing at multiple locations, including on a public street and inside a convenience store.
Presiding Judge Takao Okawa dismissed Mise’s claim of innocence, describing the assault as “despicable” and noting that the defendant took advantage of his authoritative position as a captain.
The defense argued that the victim had sent Mise an “approving message” shortly after the incident, claiming this indicated consent. However, the court firmly rejected this argument. Judge Okawa stated that the defense’s reasoning showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the psychology of sexual abuse victims.
During the trial, the flight attendant testified that she was incapable of resisting or escaping because she feared what might happen if she did. She expressed a deep fear that Mise would use his influence as a captain to negatively affect her career. The judge found her testimony “convincing and highly credible.”
In his ruling, Judge Okawa criticized Mise’s justification where the pilot claimed he believed touching her was acceptable “mischief” because they had built trust during the group meal. “He made an unreasonable excuse and lacks an attitude of sincere remorse,” Judge Okawa stated.
The judge also emphasized that the pilot had taken no measurable steps to ease his junior colleague’s suffering during her subsequent, prolonged leave of absence from work.
While prosecutors had sought a longer sentence of two years and six months (30 months), the court ultimately handed down a 20-month term.
Following the court’s decision, All Nippon Airways released a statement reiterating its stance against workplace misconduct, “No acts of harassment are allowed. We will strive to make sure nothing of this nature happens again.”
The airline confirmed that it takes the court’s ruling seriously and will continue to implement rigorous preventative measures. ANA had previously removed Mise from all active flight duties when the incident was officially reported.
