Search - discrimination-in-japan

 
 
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Oct 11, 2017

'Attach the evidence and wait for your day in court,' says Turkish plaintiff after Osaka victory

Ibrahim Yener discusses the lessons learned from his successful discrimination case against a used car dealership.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2004

Discrimination's blatant signs, not roots, easy target

A few years ago, lawsuits by foreigners against businesses that barred their entry gained public attention, and while the litigation may have faded from memory, not so the discrimination they fought -- just see the signs.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 1999

Kawasaki takes on housing discrimination

Staff writer
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 19, 2016

New law to fight bias against 'burakumin' seen falling short

Overshadowed by the 11th-hour furor over casino legalization and other legislation forced through the Diet by the ruling bloc last week was the enactment of a lesser-known law that has significant implications for Japan's minority burakumin.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 10, 2009

A turning point in Japan for the right to equality?

A year ago this week, the Supreme Court of Japan issued a judgment that struck down a clause in the Nationality Act as being a violation of the Constitution. There are good reasons for everyone in Japan to celebrate that decision. While little noted outside of specialized legal journals at the time,...
JAPAN / Society
Feb 16, 2019

Embracing a buraku heritage: Examining changing attitudes toward a social minority

When Chie Takaiwa struck up the courage to reveal a family secret to her colleague some years ago, she was met by an unexpected response.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 28, 2017

Lawyerless Turk challenges Osaka car dealer's snub of non-Japanese patrons, wins redress

In a highly unusual case that has surprised Japanese legal experts, a Turkish national based in Osaka sued a local second-hand car dealer for discrimination and won, all without the services of a lawyer.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jan 8, 2017

Japan's human rights issues fared better in 2016

Welcome back to JBC's annual countdown of the top issues as they affected Non-Japanese (NJ) residents of Japan. We had some brighter spots this year than in previous years, because Japan's government has been so embarrassed by hate speech toward Japan's minorities that they did something about it. Read...
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2012

Hashimoto likens weekly's slur to hate speak

The clash between Toru Hashimoto and the weekly magazine Shukan Asahi over an article on the Osaka mayor's lineage has raised a question that Japan still refuses to directly confront: What kinds of comments cross the line from criticism into hate speech that should be legally banned?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Feb 7, 2006

Twisted legal logic deals rights blow to foreigners

Steve McGowan, an African-American resident of Kyoto, sued an eyeglass shop in Daito City, Osaka Prefecture, for refusing him entry in 2004 on the basis of the color of his skin.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 30, 2005

Bathhouse pushes a foreigner into the doghouse

JAPANESE ONLY: The Otaru Hot Springs Case and Racial Discrimination in Japan, by Debito Arudou. Tokyo: Akashi Shoten, 2004, 407 pp., 3,500 yen (paper). Discrimination is an all too common experience for non-Japanese residents who study, work, marry and raise families here. Many of us have come to terms...
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 20, 2004

Bill of rights

As the government moves to beef up the country's military preparedness, once again the issue of the protection of foreigners' rights has been raised.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 12, 2023

LDP moves toward giving LGBTQ bill OK after concessions to conservatives

The LDP’s current proposal — a watered-down version of an initial cross-party bill — will now be presented to Komeito, the junior partner of the coalition.
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2006

Human rights groups applaud U.N. discrimination report

OSAKA -- Human rights groups in Japan on Wednesday welcomed a recently released United Nations report detailing racial discrimination and xenophobia toward minorities, including Korean, Chinese and other foreign residents in this country, and called for legislation to remedy the problem.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2001

Human rights groups attack official discrimination report

Human rights advocacy groups on Tuesday lashed out at the Japanese government for failing to address what they say are numerous discriminatory practices in a report submitted last year to a United Nations panel.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2001

Human rights groups attack official discrimination report

Human rights advocacy groups on Tuesday lashed out at the Japanese government for failing to address what they say are numerous discriminatory practices in a report submitted last year to a United Nations panel.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jun 7, 2023

Is Japan going to legalize same-sex marriage?

A series of court cases is helping to shape the debate over whether or not Japan will act on legalizing same-sex marriage.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 5, 2018

Women tending to collapsed mayor told to stay out of 'sacred' sumo ring

A referee urged two women to stay out of the ring as they tried to assist an official who was unconscious, reigniting a controversy over gender discrimination in sumo tradition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Feb 8, 2018

Korean hibakusha in Hiroshima recalls dual discrimination he secretly endured

For much of his life, Lee Jong Keun felt he had to hide two aspects of his identity: his status as a second-generation Korean in Japan and his history as an A-bomb survivor.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jan 1, 2015

Hate, muzzle and poll: a top 10 of issues for 2014

A recap of the top 10 human-rights news events affecting non-Japanese (NJ) in Japan last year.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 7, 2013

Men cry discrimination as women's status rises

Japan, it seems, is forever discriminating against someone. Women, ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, lifestyle minorities, the disabled, part-time workers — all have made claims against a state and a national psychology that define acceptability very narrowly relative to most other developed societies....
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2000

Osaka court rules against women in job-discrimination suit

OSAKA -- The Osaka District Court on Monday rejected a 160 million yen damages suit filed against Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. by two employees who claimed they were discriminated against in terms of salary and advancement because they are women.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 21, 2021

Japan pressed to tackle discrimination and abuse in sport

Though known for its strong civil society and democracy, Japan had serious rights issues to address, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Feb 23, 2019

Defining the Heisei Era: Women in Japan speak out on inequality

Last April, a female reporter from TV Asahi accused Junichi Fukuda, the top bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry, of sexual harassment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 2, 2016

New law bans bias against people with disabilities, but shortcomings exist, say experts

On April 1, a new law aimed at advancing the rights of people with disabilities took effect explicitly banning discrimination against them and requiring government bodies and private-sector businesses to pay greater attention to their needs.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 18, 2015

Rights groups stage racism summit for embassy staff

Ethnic minorities and other socially vulnerable members of Japanese society gathered Wednesday to relate their stories of racial discrimination to embassy representatives in an effort to raise global awareness of their plight and fight racism.
Born and raised in Japan, Joshua Thomson has been making videos on YouTube and Instagram to poke fun at stereotypes and challenge assumptions about — or from — Japanese society.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 23, 2025

Joshua Thomson: ‘Comedy is a pill that’s easier to swallow’

The bilingual YouTuber talks about his hybrid cultural heritage and his aspirations in the entertainment industry.
A general election must take place in the U.K. by late January 2025, which means plenty of time for expats abroad to register and vote.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Feb 26, 2024

As more U.K. expats get the vote, Japan’s ballot box stays closed

As of Jan. 16, Brits abroad — including the more than 17,000 in Japan — are able to register to vote regardless of how long they have lived overseas.
When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Apr 29, 2024

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

Among official records in Japan, the "koseki" is key to discovering where you came from. However, it's not without controversy.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji