The Tokyo District Court on Friday invalidated the decisions of a former justice minister who rejected petitions filed by two Bangladeshis with Japanese wives seeking special permission to stay in Japan even though they have overstayed their visas.
Friday's rulings on the two cases were the first among a series of similar lawsuits seeking nullification of such decisions made by former Justice Minister Shozaburo Nakamura, according to Kensuke Ohnuki, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
Haolader Mohammed Shamim, 36, and another 30-year-old Bangladeshi, who asked not to be identified, are both married to Japanese women.