Lawsuit over alleged racial profiling commences in Tokyo, Japan

On the 15th, a trial began at the Tokyo District Court where three foreign-born residents sued the central and local governments over alleged racial profiling. More specifically, they are frequently stopped and questioned by the police solely due to their appearance, such as race or skin color.

Arguing that such acts are discriminatory and unconstitutional, the three men are seeking a total of 9.9 million yen (over 3 million yen for each) in damage from the national government, as well as the Tokyo and Aichi prefectural governments. 

One of the plaintiffs is Zain - a 27-year-old Pakistani-born Japanese citizen. In the first oral hearing held on the 15th, he shared his experiences of having been questioned twice a day and being stopped by the police just simply for walking quickly. 

Regarding police questioning, Zain expresses how police questioning constitutes part of activities conducted by the police in order to prevent crime and maintain public order that all citizens living in Japan have to cooperate with. He also stresses the need for transparency and credibility in conducting such acts. 

Zain added: “I believe that treating someone based solely on your first impression of them can lead to prejudice and discrimination.” He also highlighted how this would be “a good step towards understanding each other” in light of the increasing number of foreign workers and those with overseas roots who were born and raised in Japan. 

On the other hand, the central and local governments are seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. 

Source: 日テレNEWS