Human Rights Performance Ranking
– Japan ranked in the middle among G7 countries in human rights performance.
– Ranked below Germany and Canada.
– Ranked above the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the United States.
– The Fragile States Index ranked Japan second last in the G7 on the Human Rights and Rule of Law sub-indicator.
– The Human Rights Scores Dataverse provided the ranking.
Cases of Remedial Measures for Victims
– Ministry of Justice (MOJ) received 159,864 consultations on human rights violations.
– MOJ completed 7,627 cases of remedial measures for victims.
– MOJ initiated 7,859 cases of remedial measures.
– Discriminatory treatment cases included discriminated burakumin (406 cases).
– Other cases involved physically disabled, sick, foreign residents, women, elderly, and gender identity.
Types of Human Rights Violations
– Privacy violations accounted for 18.6% of cases.
– Labor rights violations accounted for 14.5% of cases.
– School bullying accounted for 13.3% of cases.
– Assault and abuse accounted for 12.8% of cases.
– Extortion and coercion accounted for 10.2% of cases.
Human Rights Violations Faced by Foreigners
– Western media reported frequent passport confiscation by Japanese firms.
– Guest workers, especially unskilled laborers from the Philippines and other Asian countries, faced this violation.
– Foreigners may face human rights violations that Japanese citizens do not.
– Reports highlight the mistreatment of foreign workers in Japan.
– The issue has gained attention in recent years.
Treatment of Minorities
– Controversy surrounds the social and legal treatment of minorities in Japan.
– Japan considers itself a homogeneous people, but minorities exist.
– Discrimination is faced by hisabetsu buraku (discriminated communities), Ainu, Okinawa people, and Korean and Chinese residents.
– Discrimination affects various aspects of their lives.
– Discrimination against minorities is a significant issue in Japan.
Subtopic: Prisoner Rights and Surveillance
– Authorities can read prisoners’ letters without disclosure
– Inappropriate content can lead to censorship or confiscation of letters
– Visits with convicted prisoners are monitored
– Pending cases allow private access to legal representatives
– Families may not be informed of a condemned inmate’s execution
Subtopic: Conditions in Prison
– Death row prisoners held in solitary confinement with limited contact
– Parole is not granted until two-thirds of the sentence is served
– Prison rules remain confidential
– Maximum time in single cells is 6 months, but wardens have leeway in punishments
– Allegations of forced kneeling and selective punishment
Subtopic: Legal Reforms
– Crime-Victims law provides compensation and counseling for victims
– Penal Code revision increases penalties for life-threatening crimes
– Statute of limitations for prosecuting capital offenses extended
– Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons ratified
– American prisoners transferred to the United States to complete sentences
Subtopic: Gender and Juvenile Detention
– Women and juveniles housed separately from men
– Male prison guards sometimes guard female prisoners
– Male prison warden charged with sexual acts with a female inmate
– Some women’s detention facilities operating over capacity
– Pretrial detainees held separately from convicted prisoners
Subtopic: Access to Detention Facilities
– Limited access by human rights groups
– Prison visits allowed, but Nagoya prison restricts access
– Amnesty International claims lack of access due to ongoing court cases
– Government generally observes the prohibition of arbitrary arrest or detention
– Judicial review provided for detainees’ rights Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Japan
