TOKYO (AP) — On Monday, a group of Japanese citizens, including a man of Pakistani descent, took legal action against the country’s police, alleging racial profiling and discrimination. They are demanding an end to these alleged practices. The case will be heard in Tokyo District Court, and it comes as Japan has experienced a surge in foreign workers in recent years, with the number of non-Japanese residents reaching a record high of nearly 3 million last year. One of the three plaintiffs, 26-year-old Japanese citizen Syed Zain, who is of Pakistani descent, stated that he has been repeatedly stopped by police, including being searched in front of his home. Despite having lived in Japan for two decades, attended Japanese schools, and being fluent in the language, Zain feels that the police do not recognize him as Japanese, remarking, “From the first moment, they think I’m a criminal.”
The plaintiffs are seeking 3 million yen ($20,000) each in punitive damages for what they term as “unconstitutional and illegal” treatment, as well as 300,000 yen ($2,000) per plaintiff in attorney fees. Their claim alleges that racial profiling constitutes discrimination based on race, nationality, and color. The complaint targets the government as well as the national, Tokyo and Aichi prefectural police departments. At the time of writing, there has been no immediate comment from the authorities. The plaintiffs argue that being stopped by the police seemingly without cause violates the Japanese constitution, which guarantees equality under the law and forbids discrimination based on race. They also assert that it contravenes international treaties that Japan has ratified.
Motoki Taniguchi, one of the lawyers representing the three plaintiffs, mentioned that foreigners or Japanese individuals of non-Japanese ancestry often find it challenging to litigate against the government due to concerns about being targeted by the police. Hearings for the case are anticipated to last about a year. In recent times, efforts to enhance diversity in Japan have been gaining traction, with more businesses appointing female executives and global companies increasingly including non-Japanese representatives, as per Daisuke Uchida, a professor of business at Keio University. Uchida remarked, “What’s started is still just a tiny step.” ___Follow Yuri Kageyama on X:
