Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?

I was in a meeting in Japan recently, at a customer's plant having discussions with their Purchasing team when Miss Saiguma entered the room.  I had met her once before in another meeting in China.  She is younger than most people I work with, mid twenties perhaps, rather pretty, but also somewhat shy.  One of the Purchasing Managers, a man of maybe 50, gesturing towards me commented to the others in the room "I think he only came here today so he could see Saiguma-san again."  This comment caught me off guard, I did not really know how to react so I just smiled but didn't otherwise reply.  He continued.  "You must take special care with Saiguma.  Pretty young girls are unusual in Purchasing.  We want her to stay for long time!"  Saiguma did not seem phased by any of this.  I felt a bit embarrassed.

As the meeting wore on, there were more comments about Saiguma's beauty, her smile, her youth.  Nothing vulgar was said, but clearly the standards for what is acceptable to discuss in a business environment are different in Japan.  To be sure, the strictness with which codes of conduct are adhered to vary greatly even in the US.  Small companies often put up with behaviors that would never be tolerated in the Fortune 500.  But this was not a small company.  In fact it was one of the largest corporations in Japan - in the world for that matter.

I am still not sure what to make of the whole thing.  Miss Saiguma did not act offended by or even uncomfortable with the comments.  At least if she was uncomfortable, she did not let on.  However, the whole exchange made me uneasy.  Who knows - maybe I offended her by not adding my own "compliments". 

I know cultures around the world are different, and Japan is very new to me.  I work pretty hard to assimilate in most situations wherever I travel, but some things just go against my nature...