Harassment Consultation Desk Guidelines for IVS 2026

1. Introduction

   These guidelines explain how harassment consultations at IVS 2026 (the Event) will be handled. By clarifying how reported acts of harassment are addressed, we believe we can provide an environment where participants can act with peace of mind. These guidelines shall apply solely to this year’s event.

   1-1. Scope of Application

   We believe preventing and rectifying inappropriate behavior is the responsibility of everyone involved in the Event. Therefore, these guidelines apply to all event participants, including IVS 2026 staff, side event organizers, attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and partner organizations. These guidelines apply not only to the official programs hosted by the Event but also to afterparties and side events. Furthermore, they shall continuously apply to all future projects and activities planned and implemented by the Event.

   
   

2. About the Harassment Response System

   While it is important to try and prevent harm from spreading, we believe it is equally necessary to have a system in place where people can actually voice their concerns. Therefore, we have established the following system to provide an easy-to-consult and reassuring structure you can rely on.

   2-1. Harassment Prevention Office

   • What is the Harassment Prevention Office?

     • This is the organization responsible for preventing and responding to acts of harassment that occur at the Event, and primarily manages the operations of the harassment consultation contact points.

     • Harassment cases that occur at the Event are escalated within the Harassment Prevention Office through the Primary Consultation Desk, the Secondary Consultation Desk, and the Harassment Review Committee.

   • About the Members of the Harassment Prevention Office

     • The members of the Harassment Prevention Office from June 27, 2026, to August 31 of the same year consist of a total of N individuals, including the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee Harassment Prevention Office, the cooperating organization SISTERS, Inc., dedicated clinical psychologists, and attorneys. Their respective roles are as follows:

       Organizational Structure of the Harassment Prevention Office

       Primary Consultation Desk	｜Harassment Consultation LINE ・SISTERS, Inc. Reviews consultation details received via the Harassment Consultation LINE and communicates with the consulters. ｜Harassment Response Staff ・IVS KYOTO Executive Committee Harassment Response Headquarters Responds when harassment occurs in target areas during the event period and on-site dispatch is requested.
       Secondary Consultation Desk	Clinical Psychologist: Kakou Matsuo, Representative of Psyche Mental School LLC Through interviews with a clinical psychologist, handles mental care for consulters and determines the necessity of continuous support or legal action.
       Harassment Review Committee	・IVS KYOTO Executive Committee Harassment Response Headquarters ・SISTERS, Inc. ・So & Sato Law Offices

       
       

     • About the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee Harassment Prevention Office

       • ■The IVS KYOTO Executive Committee (composed of Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, and Kyoto City) has established a "Harassment Prevention Office" responsible for preventing harassment during the event period and responding to cases when they occur. The office is primarily operated by Headline Japan Inc., and consultation response and victim support are handled by female staff (or staff of a gender requested by the consulter).

         • *If you wish to check the details of the office members, please feel free to reach out to the Harassment Consultation LINE. A staff member will guide you individually.

     • About SISTERS, Inc.

       • SISTERS, Inc. is a corporation that mainly addresses harassment in private companies and issues surrounding sexual violence against the younger generation. It has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Headline Japan Inc., the organizer of the Event, having received a subcontract to support the establishment and operation of the harassment consultation desk and the harassment response review office.

   2-2. About the Harassment Consultation LINE

   • At this Event, we have established a consultation desk run by the Harassment Prevention Office to prevent harassment and respond quickly. In principle, consultations are accepted through a form provided within the Harassment Consultation LINE, which consulters must add/register to use.

   • About the Harassment Consultation Period

     • Harassment is not always recognized immediately after it happens; sometimes you realize it later. Even if you realize it after this conference has ended, consultations will still be accepted via the Harassment Consultation LINE until August 31, 2026.

   • About Harassment Consultation LINE Response Hours

     • The hours during which harassment consultants review details and contact you as necessary vary depending on the event period and response hours.

       Response Hours

       Date	Hours	Time to Reply
       Event Period (July 1 to July 3)	Within Response Hours (10:00-19:00) Outside Response Hours	Within 2 hours Within 12 hours
       Outside Event Period (June 27 to June 30, July 4 to August 31)		Within 5 business days

       
       

   • About Eligible Consulters

     • The person who experienced the harassment, or a third party who witnessed or became aware of it. Any position, including participants and staff, is eligible.

     • However, please note that while reports for the following cases will be accepted through the consultation form, they will only be received as records and are outside the scope of concrete intervention as handling them under the event's operation system is difficult:

       • Consultations regarding trouble that occurred outside the target scope after the event period with a person met at or outside this Event.

       • Harassment incidents that occurred in the past and are unrelated to this Event.
         
         

     • About Side Events

       • The target area during the event period is limited to the main area managed by the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee (IVS Kyoto International Exhibition Hall Miyako Messe / Rohm Theatre Kyoto, and IVS CORE Kyoto Hotel Okura). Please note that it is difficult to provide on-site dispatch or responses by Harassment Review Committee members for harassment that occurs at side events. While details may be shared with the organizers or relevant parties of the side event depending on the content, in principle, reports will only be received as records.
         
         

     • About Confidentiality Obligations

       • The details of consultations will only be shared with members of the Harassment Prevention Office.

       • Sharing information with the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee or other related parties outside the Harassment Prevention Office will only be done with the explicit consent of the consulter and limited to the minimum extent necessary to achieve the purpose.

         • *However, this does not apply in cases of (1) laws and regulations/requests from public institutions, or (2) emergency contacts required to protect the life or physical safety of the informer or others.

       • In principle, consultation records are stored for 5 years, after which names and contact details are removed, anonymized, and properly destroyed.

       • For the purpose of improving the operations of this Event, statistical data that does not identify individuals (number of cases, classifications, and trends only) may be shared and used by the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee.

       • For the purpose of preventing harassment in startups, information that is carefully processed to remain non-personally identifiable (anonymized) may be used for academic activities as part of the Tamamusubi Project, provided consent is obtained.

       • Even with efforts to anonymize, there is a possibility that the consulter might be guessed by cross-referencing other information, depending on job titles or details of the situation. Even in such cases, the information will be strictly managed based on this policy and will not be re-disclosed to third parties.

       • Consulters can request corrections or deletions of their consultation content or personal information. (Contact: ivs-office@infinityventures.com)

         
         

     • About Anonymous Consultations

       • Consultations can be submitted anonymously or partially unsigned. However, if the consultation is anonymous and continuous communication or clarification of details with the consulter is difficult, the details will be escalated to the Harassment Review Committee based only on the information provided in the form, and measures to prevent similar cases will be discussed.

       • If the consultation is signed and the consulter is reachable, or if it is unsigned/anonymous but the details of the damage can be accurately grasped, it will connect to the Primary Consultation Desk.

         
         

3. Flow of Process After Receiving a Consultation

   3-1. Receipt of Consultation

   • Consultations are accepted by filling out the inquiry form provided after registering for the LINE chat.

   • Regarding Urgency

     • Urgency is verified before filling out the inquiry form. In cases of violence, threats, urgent rescue needs, when feeling in physical danger, or if there is a risk of self-harm or harm to others, please consider contacting public agencies such as the police or the Sex Crime / Sexual Violence Victim One-Stop Support Center (#8891), or requesting help from those around you.

   • Please note that we may not reply to cases judged as record-only or messages unrelated to harassment consultations.

   3-2. Primary Consultation Desk

   • The Primary Consultation Desk is responsible for initial response, assessing the situation, and making decisions on first-action measures based on the level of urgency. Hearings by a harassment consultant will be conducted as necessary.

     • Receipt of consultations via the inquiry form

     • Coordination with on-site response staff

     • Initial hearing of consultation details and consideration of necessary support

     • Connecting to the Secondary Consultation Desk or the Harassment Prevention Office

   • The Primary Consultation Desk is staffed by consultants from SISTERS, Inc.

   • During the Event Period

     • During the event period, we will first determine whether "on-site dispatch response" is necessary.

     • The target area for on-site dispatch is limited to main events managed by the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee.

     • When On-Site Dispatch Is Required

       • On-site dispatch response is deemed necessary under the following circumstances:

         • If the person alleged to have committed harassment is having a dispute, such as an argument, with the person who experienced the harassment or other third parties

         • If the person who experienced the harassment cannot move due to a panic state or other conditions

       • Prioritizing the safety and emotional stability of the consulter, we will physically distance them from the alleged perpetrator.

       • Response staff will guide the victim, the alleged perpetrator, and witnesses to separate locations to ensure a calm environment for conversation. Following this, we will set up hearing sessions with professionals for other relevant parties as needed.

   3-3. Secondary Consultation Desk

   • At the Secondary Consultation Desk, the following will be conducted through interviews with a clinical psychologist to handle the consulter's mental care and determine the necessity of continuous support or legal action:

     • Detailed hearings and mental care via interviews with a clinical psychologist

     • Introduction to specialists, such as attorneys, as necessary

     • Deciding on coordination with the Harassment Review Committee

   • The Secondary Consultation Desk processes consultations for target individuals in the following cases:

     • If the consulter requests an interview with a clinical psychologist

     • If the Harassment Prevention Office determines a need for professional support and proposes it to the informer

     • Please note that interviews with clinical psychologists cannot be conducted for individuals in the following situations:

       • Those currently undergoing outpatient medical treatment without doctor approval, or currently receiving ongoing counseling

       • Minors without parental consent, or adults under guardianship, curatorship, or assistance without the consent of their legal representative, guardian, curator, or assistant

   • Using the booking form sent to you, confirm the interview schedule and conduct a consultation within one hour via Zoom.

   • Points to Note on Using the Secondary Consultation Desk

     • Consultations do not include medical actions (issuance of medical certificates, medical treatment, or other actions based on the Medical Practitioners' Act). If deemed necessary, we will limit our response to introducing you to appropriate medical institutions.

     • During consultation, if the counseling psychologist deems that conducting the consultation is inappropriate or cannot be adequately performed, such as when there is a risk of symptoms relating to a pre-existing medical condition or disorder worsening, the consultation may be suspended.

   • Reporting After Interviews

     • To help prevent future harassment, consultation details will be reported in a non-personally identifiable format, with the consent of the consulter.

     • Consultation details will not be shared outside the Harassment Prevention Office, but if signs of suicidal ideation or illegal acts are observed, information may be shared with relevant organizations.

     • If it is determined that organizational action is required, the case will be carried over to the next step: the Harassment Prevention Office.

   3-4. Actions and Measures by the Harassment Review Committee

   • The Harassment Review Committee is a temporary committee made up of the consultants involved in the consultation. Its purpose is to flexibly discuss appropriate responses and recurrence prevention methods based on the consultation content. The committee focuses primarily on discussing the following two measures depending on the situation, but will also flexibly consider other measures as needed. The final decision on whether to execute such actions rests with the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee.

     • Discussion on Organizational Measures

       • This is carried out when troublesome behavior is repeated or in cases involving severe context, such as violence or intimidation, and it is judged that the safety of the affected person is threatened or that other participants could be affected.

       • Anticipated Actions:

         • Organizing records concerning fact-finding with relevant parties

         • Deciding whether the individual in question should be involved in future events

         • Discussing improvements regarding event operation and environment

     • Discussion on Environment Improvement Measures

       • If consultations are anonymous or continued communication with the consulter is difficult, we will discuss measures to prevent similar cases.

       • Anticipated Actions

         • Sharing cases and raising awareness among staff

         • Reviewing response manuals and adding supplements to guidelines

         • Providing feedback for future spatial design and operational structures

     • About Third-Party Provision

       • To investigate/handle individual cases and construct recurrence prevention measures, minimal information may be shared with third parties, limited strictly to cases where explicit consent is obtained from the informer.

       • Examples of primary sharees are listed below, but are not limited to these. If sharing with other involved parties becomes newly necessary, we will explain the purpose, sharees, and details to the informer in advance to obtain additional consent.

         • External experts (attorneys, clinical psychologists under confidentiality agreements, etc.)

         • Members of the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee who do not belong to the response office or review committee (e.g., responsible person of the session, booth operators, etc.)

         • Witnesses or other third-party testifiers (if fact-finding is required)

         • The individual suspected of harassment (to grant an opportunity for explanation or warning notification)

         • An accompanying supporter designated by the informer (if translation or emotional support is required)

         • Venue security / Facility management staff (if ensuring physical safety is required)

     • Sharees are limited to individuals who have no direct conflict of interest with the informer or the alleged perpetrator (e.g., information will not be provided to the alleged perpetrator or their direct supervisor/subordinate unless explicitly requested by the informer).

     • Information provided will be limited to what is essential to achieve the purpose, and third parties who receive it will be bound by confidentiality obligations and retaliation prohibition obligations equivalent to or higher than this policy.

       
       

To Prevent the Spread of Harassment Damages

No matter what step-by-step measures are in place to prevent harassment, there is still a possibility that harassment might occur when many people gather. Accepting this reality, this Event recommends the following actions to minimize damages should any incident occur.

4-1. If You Feel You Are Experiencing Harassment

• You do not need to blame yourself or think it is your fault. The occurrence of harassment is not your problem alone.

• If you are harassed, please express your intent that you want the harassment to stop to the other party, if possible. Even if that is difficult, you will not be blamed.

• If you cannot tell the other party that you find their behavior unpleasant, do not keep it to yourself; call for a third party’s help or consult with us.

  • In cases of violence, threats, urgent rescue needs, when feeling in physical danger, or if there is a risk of self-harm or harm to others, please contact public agencies such as the police or the Sex Crime / Sexual Violence Victim One-Stop Support Center (#8891).

  • It is perfectly fine to wait until your feelings settle, but if possible, please share the incident you experienced with the Event organizers.

• After feeling that you have been harassed, it is important not to push yourself and to face the situation at your own pace. Do not keep it to yourself, and consider reaching out to trusted people around you or seeking professional support, such as from clinical psychologists.

4-2. If You Witness Harassment

• While protecting your own mind and body, intervene depending on the situation if possible. Active bystanders are individuals who actively intervene rather than just watch when sexual harm occur. There are mainly 5 methods of intervention (called the 5Ds), and you can combine multiple methods.

  Distract (Distract)	Action taken to divert attention to change the situation. Instead of directly interacting with the alleged perpetrator or the victim, you take indirect methods to stop the flow of harassment.
  Delegate (Seek Help)	If taking action yourself is difficult, consult a trusted boss or HR.
  Document (Keep Evidence)	Keep evidence through photographing, recording, or note-taking so that the situation, date, time, and location can be specified.
  Delay (Later Response)	Keep evidence through photographing, recording, or note-taking so that the situation, date, time, and location can be specified.
  Direct (Intervene Directly)	Intervene directly by saying things like, "I think that is harassment."

  Consider or execute responses like those mentioned above, and even if it is after your feelings have settled, please share the incident with the Event organizers if possible. We will discuss measures to prevent recurrence.

4-3. If Someone Consults You About Harassment

• Secondary victimization refers to secondary harm experienced by a person who was harassed, caused by those around them after they consult or make reports. To speak in a way that does not cause secondary harm, it is advisable to keep the following points in mind:

  Thank them for telling you （Thank them for telling you）	Expressing thanks helps the person feel safe to talk at the start of the conversation.
  Ask how you can help （Ask how you can help）	Focus on asking what kind of help they need, rather than offering advice.
  Listen without judgment （Listen without judgment）	Listen with empathy without accusing or doubting, saying things like "You are not alone" or "That must have been hard."
  Keep supporting （Keep supporting）	Each person’s recovery process is different, so respect the way that suits them and stay close to support them.

4-4. If You Are Pointed Out as "The Person Alleged to Have Committed Harassment"

• If you are told that you have committed harassment, first accept that fact calmly. It is important to look back on the situation carefully without getting emotional.

• If the action reported as harassment is true, do not look for external factors (e.g., environment or actions of others) as the cause, but acknowledge that there was a factor within your own action or attitude. It is necessary to adopt a stance of deeply thinking about how your behavior affected the other party.

• Your subsequent relationship with the other party should prioritize the wishes of the harassed person. Careful actions are required, even if it is for an apology. The timing for the harassed person to accept an apology is different from the timing when the alleged perpetrator wishes to apologize.

• Retaliation against the person who consulted regarding the harassment, the harassed person, or those who intervened in the harassment is unacceptable. When holding dialogues about harassment actions, please understand the following:

  Accusations of harassment are not an attack on you or a rejection of your character.

  • Refrain from denying the other party's claims.

  • Even if it differs from your perception, make an effort to accept the other party's side and state "how it looked from my perspective."

  • You are not barred from explaining the reasons why you committed the harassment, but understand that they do not justify the harassment.

• When you have committed harassment, you may feel various conflicts and anxieties. You also need a safe place to look back on what you have done. To prevent recurrence, please consider seeking appropriate support, such as from a clinical psychologist.

References: Definitions of Terms

• Consulter: Refers to the person who consulted this Event regarding the harassment action that occurred.

• Person alleged to have committed harassment: Refers to the person alleged to have committed harassment in the consultation.

• Harassed person: Refers to the person alleged to have experienced harassment in the consultation.

• Harassment Prevention Office: An organization responsible for harassment prevention and response during incidents at this Event.

• Harassment Review Committee: Discusses responses and preventative measures for reported incidents.

• Harassment Response Staff: Refers to the staff among members of the Harassment Prevention Office who handle the initial response when harassment occurs at the Event venue.

• Harassment Consultant: Refers to the staff among members of the Harassment Prevention Office who possess professional knowledge regarding harassment.

• Operation Staff: All staff involved in operating this Event, including directors, the secretariat, executive committee members, and volunteers on the day.

• Harassment Consultation LINE: Refers to the official LINE account for consulting when harassment incidents occur.

• Event Period: Refers to the period from July 1 to July 3 during which IVS 2026 is held.

• Response Hours: Refers to the period from 10:00 to 19:00.

• Target Response Area: Main events only

© Tamamusubi Project (SISTERS, Inc. / Pillow Non-Profit Inc.)
Year of Publication: 2026
*This document is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Even when modifying or redistributing it, please make sure to credit the source.