TOP > Statements and Appeals > Racism in Japan

United Nations Human Rights Council Seventh Session
Geneva, 19 March 2008

In Response to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

Thank you Mr. President.

On behalf of IMADR, we would like to express our gratitude for the Special Rapporteur on Racism, Mr. Doudou Diene, for the follow up to his mission to Japan, presented in his report today.

We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s emphasis on the role of education while combating racism, and encourage the Government of Japan to make further efforts, so that its approach mentioned in the report leads to the elimination of discrimination and racism in a concrete form.

We would also like to inform the Special Rapporteur that the Korean residents in Utoro district, who have long been threatened with the danger of eviction, are now embarking on a process which we hope will allow them to live on their own land. We applaud the solidarity between communities and the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea that has made this solution possible, and urge the Japanese Government to fulfill its role at maximum level in resolving this problem.

Unfortunately, the recommendations posed in the Special Rapporteur’s report on his mission to Japan in 2005 remain almost entirely unimplemented. For instance, in Japan, there is still no legislation against discrimination, or an independent national human rights institution.

Furthermore, recent actions by the Government of Japan raise additional serious concerns. In particular, the revised immigration law, which came into force in November 2007, has been widely criticized for the discriminatory system it implements, which unilaterally collects and controls biometric information, namely fingerprints and facial images, from the majority of foreigners entering Japan. This information will even be shared with the police authority. Moreover, during a recent school textbook screening process, the Government requested that the description in textbooks regarding the forced mass suicide in Okinawa during the World War II be amended, leading to a huge protest by the people in Okinawa. Also, the national consultation in Japan regarding UN human rights institutions have so far turned out to be a failure. We urge the Japanese Government to take the necessary measures to implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur as soon as possible, and to improve the current domestic situation.

We appreciate the Special Rapporteur’s referral to the issue of Caste discrimination, or Discrimination Based on Work and Descent, which we believe is an important issue to be addressed within the HRC structure, and we urge the Japanese Government to take up the observations of the CERD committee referred to by the Special Rapporteur.

IMADR, together with the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, composed of 82 minority groups and NGOs, hope to continue to work together with the Special Rapporteur, and strongly supports the continuation of this important mandate. Lastly, we would like to express our gratitude to the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Doudou Diene, who has not only produced a significant report on the situation of Japan, but has also fostered solidarity among discriminated minorities in Japan, and provided them with encouragement by recognizing their human rights concerns and giving them a voice within the UN system.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Speaker: Sumie Ogasawara