Special Focus
  • A mother with her son, age 5, living in Fukushima City approximately 60 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
    © 2012 Katsuo Takahashi for Human Rights Watch
    Japan: A Year After Fukushima, Response Falls Short
    Many residents of Fukushima prefecture still lack basic information and clear answers about the level of radiation in their food and environment. Although the explosion at the Daiichi plant is considered the most severe radiation crisis worldwide since Chernobyl, many residents of Fukushima prefecture report that they have not been able to have their children tested for radiation exposure. They also told Human Rights Watch that the government provides contradictory information about the impact of radiation on human health.
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Japan

  • Burma: Japanese Leader’s Visit Should Highlight Rights
    May 23, 2013
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should make improving the human rights situation in Burma a top priority during his visit to the country this week.
  • The Sun Rises on Human Rights
    Apr 12, 2013
    As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making waves.
  • Joint letter to Prime Minister Abe on the Visit of Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa
    Mar 6, 2013
    In anticipation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s upcoming visit to Japan on 12-15 March 2013, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Movement Against All Forms of Discriminationand Racism (IMADR) are writing to ask you to raise concerns about the poor human rights situation in Sri Lanka with the President and to issue a public statement about your concerns.
  • North Korea: Activists Welcome Japan’s Support for Inquiry
    Feb 5, 2013

    The International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK), consisting of over 40 leading human rights organizations and activists, today welcomes Japan’s strong position in favor of the establishment of a new United Nations commission of inquiry on serious human rights violations committed by the North Korean Government at home and abroad.

  • Joint letter to protest the use of cluster bombs in Syria
    Feb 1, 2013
    We, the citizens of Japan, deeply regret that a large number of Syrian citizens have been victimized in the recent conflict that has been escalating since March 2011. We hope the conflict to end promptly without further sacrifice in our friendly nation of Syria.
  • North Korea: Japan’s Backing of UN Inquiry Gives Hope
    Jan 25, 2013
    Japan’s official decision to support the establishment of a new United Nations inquiry mechanism on human rights violations in North Korea is an important step toward the establishment of an in-depth investigation into human rights violations committed by the North Korean Government at home and abroad.
  • Mercury Convention "Must Be Brought to Life"
    Jan 21, 2013
    This weekend, more than 140 governments agreed on the text for a new legally binding convention on mercury, a highly toxic metal. It has taken three years and many compromises to get here. What often seemed like a dry and bureaucratic process – delegates arguing over nuance during long night sessions – has very real implications for millions of people around the globe.
  • North Korea: Launch a UN Commission of Inquiry
    Jan 21, 2013
    Members of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) should vote to establish a commission of inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea when the matter comes up before the February-March session of the council, said Human Rights Watch today. A detailed memo released by Human Rights Watch, Q&A on a United Nations Commission of Inquiry on North Korea, explains why a commission is urgently needed, how it could be established, what it should examine, and how it will support the efforts of the UNHRC to press for Pyongyang’s compliance with international human rights standards.
  • The Central Role of Japan in Addressing Human Rights Abuses in North Korea
    Jan 21, 2013
  • Mercury Treaty: Last Chance to Address Health Effects
    Jan 10, 2013
    A proposed international treaty to address the damaging effects of mercury should include specific provisions to protect the health of children and other vulnerable populations, Human Rights Watch said today. Governments are to meet in Geneva beginning January 13, 2013, for a fifth and final round of talks for the treaty. Mercury is a toxic metal that attacks the central nervous system and is particularly harmful to children.
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