Overview
- The Tokyo District Court convicted 44-year-old captain Ryota Mise of indecent acts and sentenced him to 20 months in prison for repeatedly groping a junior flight attendant.
- The ruling on July 14, 2026 found the assaults took place in public in Takamatsu after a work-related meal and described the conduct as an abuse of his position.
- Judge Takao Okawa called the acts “despicable,” rejected the defence claim that post-incident messages showed consent, and said the defendant showed no sincere remorse.
- The victim testified she felt unable to resist or report because she feared professional retaliation by a senior colleague, and the court found her testimony credible.
- Reporting on ANA's internal response has conflicted, with some outlets saying the airline removed the captain from flight duties and others citing a company statement that he remained a captain after internal discipline, a gap that raises questions about corporate transparency and personnel consequences.