3 Japanese Residents Sue Japan Over Alleged Racial Profiling

Three foreign-born residents in Japan are taking legal action against the government for alleged racial profiling, spotlight an ongoing debate about Japanese identity and nationality.

The plaintiffs, what are all residents of Tokyo, claimed that they were questioned by police based on their race, skin colour, nationality, and other factors, amounting to discrimination in violation of Japan’s constitution.

One of them came to Japan from India after marrying his wife and has lived there for more than 20 years. Since then, he has been repeatedly harrassed by police officers on the street, sometimes twice a day.

Another plaintiff, a Pakistani-born Japanese citizen, noted that people in Japan have the image that individuals who look like foreigners commit crimes. The third plaintiff is an American-born man who hoped to raise awareness of the issue among the Japanese population.

Japan as a country is an ethnically homogenous country with comparatively low levels of immigration.