Just 410 — the number of refugees accepted by Japan since 1982 — says a lot about government policy toward those who flee political persecution in their home countries. They wouldn't fill more than a few cars on a rush-hour commuter train!
Only 10 percent of those who seek asylum are granted refugee status, and that ignores the many potential applicants turned away at ports of entry and on the high seas based on an agreement between the Japanese and Chinese governments.
Eri Ishikawa, of the Japan Association for Refugees (JAR), one of the leading nonprofit organizations working in the field, compares recognition to winning the lottery, and explains that the Immigration Bureau focuses on weeding out alleged "liars" among the applicants. Only 34 were recognized in 2006, 28 of whom were from Myanmar. Most asylum- seekers and recognized refugees in recent years have come from Myanmar.