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Combating racial discrimination in Japan

Racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia do exist in Japan. The effects of these are felt by the Buraku people, the Ainu, the people of Okinawa, people from former Japanese colonies such as the Koreans, Chinese, and their descendants, other foreigners, and migrant workers who have come from all over Asia. All concerned actors, including the Japanese government, must acknowledge the existence of these groups, who have been rendered invisible, or whose existence has not been properly recognized. The state of discrimination that these groups face, including underlying social, economic, and political structures, as well as the history and distinct cultures of these groups, must be more deeply understood and appropriate measures taken. Without this, creating a multiethnic and multicultural society in Japan will not be possible. It is based on this understanding that IMADR’s Japan Committee (IMADR-JC), together with many organizations and individuals, and particularly minorities themselves, is taking part in advocacy and information dissemination activities.

The Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD-Net) was established under the initiative of IMADR-JC with the above context in mind. It is centered on Japan’s minority groups and individuals, with the participation of groups and individuals who work for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, and colonialism. It is a broad network for actors to deepen their mutual understanding and awareness regarding the existence and history of minority groups who have been historically marginalized and made invisible, and the state of discrimination against them today. ERD-Net seeks to make effective use of international human rights mechanisms, and call for concrete measures through the abolishment or creation of legal systems.

ERD-Net highly commends the Japan Mission Report created by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diene (“Diene Report”), as the first UN document to address racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia in Japan in a comprehensive manner. ERD-Net aims for the implementation of the report’s recommendations in Japan by demanding this from the Japanese government, disseminating the report to the public, and using it as a springboard to further discuss and debate the issues. In February 2007, after the Japanese government issued a statement in response to the Diene Report, ERD-Net created a counter statement to present their views and submitted it to the UN Human Rights Council.

ERD-Net also seeks to implement the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in Japan. The Japanese government submitted its first and second periodic report due under ICERD in 2000. The report was reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination (CERD) the following year, together with reports submitted by NGOs. The government is now preparing its third and fourth periodic report. ERD-Net calls on the Japanese government, as a state party to ICERD, to implement the final recommendations that CERD adopted during its 2001 review of Japan.