TOP > Statements and Appeals > Racism in Japan

The following NGO Joint Statement in response to the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on his Mission to Japan was released on March 7, 2006 and has been signed by 85 minority and human rights groups in Japan (as of October 31, 2006).

In Response to the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on his Mission to Japan

Following his first official mission to Japan (July 3-11, 2005), Mr. Doudou Diene (Senegal), UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, submitted a report to the UN Commission on Human Rights (UN Doc. E/CN.4/2006/16/Add.2). The eradication of racial discrimination, racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, including ethnic discrimination and Buraku discrimination, is an important task for the international community in the 21st century, as re-affirmed at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in South Africa in 2001. Within this context, the report will serve as a touchstone for whether Japanese society can re-examine itself, and take concrete measures toward solving these problems.

Report Summary - "Racial discrimination and xenophobia do exist in Japan"
From the report: "The Special Rapporteur reached the conclusion that racial discrimination and xenophobia do exist in Japan, and that these affect three circles of discriminated groups: the national minorities - the Buraku people, the Ainu and the people of Okinawa; people from and descendants of people from former Japanese colonies - Korea and China; and foreigners and migrants from other Asian countries and from the rest of the world. (para. 69)" Mr. Diene presents a comprehensive set of 24 recommendations, calling on the Japanese government to publicly acknowledge the existence of racial discrimination and show the political will to eradicate it; to create laws prohibiting discrimination and establish domestic institutions to deal with the issue; and to revise its history textbooks, among other points.

Overall evaluation of the report - A step toward overcoming "marginalization" and "invisibility," and realizing a multicultural society
We welcome the report, recognizing that it is the first UN document to address racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia in Japan in a comprehensive way that deals not only with the legal aspects of these issues but also with their social and historical context.

Although some elements of the report may reflect an incomplete understanding of the details or be based on misconceptions, on the whole, it is a very valuable document because it emphasizes that there are clearly groups in Japanese society who have been rendered invisible or whose presence has been poorly recognized and that a multicultural society cannot exist without appropriate policies that acknowledge the social and historical context of these issues. This point is illustrated, for example, in the first recommendation (para. 74), which states: "The Government, at the highest levels, should officially and publicly recognize the existence of racial discrimination and xenophobia in Japanese society," and that the government "should also officially and publicly recognize historical and cultural roots of racial discrimination and xenophobia in the Japanese society, and express in clear and strong terms its political will to combat it." It continues: "It should be done by conducting a survey to find out the present conditions of each discriminated group in Japan." It further states that, "Such a message will not only create the political conditions of combating discrimination and xenophobia at all levels of society, but also facilitate the promotion of the complex but profound process of multiculturalism in Japanese society."

The establishment of the nation-state, colonialism, and in recent years, neo-liberal globalization and the "war on terror" have left the Buraku people, the Ainu, the people of Okinawa, people and descendants of former Japanese colonies (Koreans and Chinese), foreigners and migrant workers from other Asian countries and from the rest of the world increasingly marginalized-they face harsh discrimination, their history has been buried, and they have been deprived of their distinct cultures. These socially invisible minorities have been kept apart from the majority, and the state has taken advantage of this split to implement its security policies and maintain its authority.

We bear in mind a remark made by Special Rapporteur Diene during the press conference at the end of his mission to Japan: "The submission of the report is not the goal. I want this to serve as an opportunity to help Japan move towards multiculturalism - this is what the end-goal is." We hope that the Japanese government and other concerned actors will take the submission of this report to the UN as an opportunity to reaffirm the existence of "others" whose backgrounds differ from that of the majority, and to deepen their understanding of the conditions faced by minority groups, the underlying social, economic and political structures involved, as well as the history and distinct cultures of those groups.

We call on Japanese policymakers to implement the report's recommendations and engage in dialogue with minority groups
Taking the above into consideration, we demand that Japanese policymaking institutions - the government, local authorities, legislatures and the judiciary - enlighten themselves about the comprehensive meaning, recommendations and background of the report, and take all necessary measures to implement each of the recommendations under their respective mandates. At the same time, we believe it is important to ensure that minority groups are consulted in all phases of this process and that a commitment to publicly recognize the existence of racial discrimination is shown through action. It will be impossible to carry out any of the recommendations without accurately reflecting the point of view of minorities that have been marginalized and rendered invisible, and without re-examining Japanese society. We commend the Japanese government for receiving Special Rapporteur Diene 's mission, but its true value will only be realized when the government engages in dialogue and consultation with minority groups.

Calling for strengthening of partnerships between minorities and NGOs
We believe it significant that the report ends with the following recommendation: "Groups that are discriminated should act in a spirit of solidarity between them, and support each others against causes, as a way to achieve a truly pluralistic society, where all are minorities are respected and have their place (para. 97)."
In light of recent conditions, we must take a clear stand against policies and incidents that promote racial discrimination, racism and xenophobia. We must make effective use of international human rights mechanisms, and focus not only on the effects of discrimination but also on the underlying social, economic and political structures and history, as we forge stronger partnerships between minority groups, as well as among minority and majority groups. The Japanese government has begun drafting its third and fourth periodic reports due under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination. Our immediate task is to demand the substantive participation of minorities and NGOs throughout the reporting process, from drafting to deliberation by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). At the same time, we must demand that the report reflect policies designed to implement the recommendations of Special Rapporteur Diene.
We thus call upon Japan's minority groups and individuals, as well as groups and individuals concerned about the issues of racial discrimination, racism and colonialism, to participate in a wide coalition to deepen their mutual understanding of the existence, history and current situation of historically marginalized and invisible minority groups, and to share their awareness of these issues.
Japanese society today is built on a lack of understanding of minorities, and neither the government nor members of the majority, who constitute the overwhelming part of society, can identify with the pain felt by discriminated groups. This threatens multiculturalism and promotes xenophobia, and, as a result, impairs the full functioning of democracy. We believe that only by understanding minorities and creating policies based on that understanding can Japanese society realize multiculturalism and fight xenophobia, and in so doing, take the first step towards overcoming a false democracy based only on the power of the majority.

March 7, 2006
Jointly signed by the 71 organizations (See PDF file for updated list of signatories) [PDF 78KB]