Joint NGO report on multiple forms of discrimination in Japan (CEDAW 77th PSWG, 2020)

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the ICERD and the 30th anniversary of Japan’s accession, and welcoming the LOIPR of CERD to Japan, IMADR and partner NGOs jointly identify challenges we face in our work for the elimination of racial discrimination through the consultation with the Committee experts we invite, and make strategic plans for the next steps. It should give impacts and pressure to the Government in its preparation for its next periodic report to the Committee, to the politicians to work more on the issues of racism and discrimination and to the civil society to join us towards the elimination of racial discrimination. With Experts from […]

A list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) for Japan, containing 59 items, was adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) during its 116th session. IMADR and the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD-Net) contributed to this process by submitting joint NGO reports. ＊You can find LOIPR issued by CERD here. ▼ Download our report: Part A (highlighting legal framework in Japan; hate speech and hate crime; racial profiling) Part B (highlighting minorities, including Buraku people, Ainu Indigenous Peoples, people in the Ryukyus and other residents in Okinawa Prefecture, women belonging to minority groups, and returnees from China and their families) Part […]

From 17 November to 5 December 2025, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) held its 116th session. During the session, CERD reviewed and adopted concluding observations on the reports of Burundi, Guatemala, Maldives, New Zealand, Sweden and Tunisia. Highlights of the session included: The lists of issues prior to reporting for Japan and Panama were adopted, and follow-up reports from Bolivia, Mexico, Moldova, San Marino and Vietnam were reviewed. Joint general recommendations 38 and 39 were adopted on eradicating xenophobia towards migrants and other perceived as such. (Its advanced unedited version can be found here; EN, FR, and ES) A high-level commemorative event was held to […]

Human rights are under threat all over the world, and Japan is no exception.  The following panels offer a glimpse into the realities of racial discrimination and the ongoing struggle for justice in Japanese society. (*For more details, please click each panel.) *Sayama Case refers to the false conviction of Kazuo Ishikawa, then 24 years old, for the murder of a high school girl in 1963. It was fabricated by the police believing that Burak people can do it. Further information about the rally in the centre of Tokyo in May 2025 can be found here. * One of the key factors behind this impunity is the Status of Forces […]