Despite being the fourth-largest donor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Japan accepts remarkably few refugees. The government often justifies this by citing the country’s geographical position, arguing that it is far from the key regions from which refugees are displaced, compared to nations that accept significantly higher numbers. However, Japan’s acceptance rate was only 9% in 2023, and before that, it remained below 1% for several years. These figures suggest that while Japan is willing to provide financial aid, it is reluctant to welcome refugees into the country. Why is this the case? The issue can largely be explained by government policy and cultural attitudes towards immigration. 

Japan’s refugee screening process is known for being one of the most restrictive in the world. Since the establishment of its Resettlement Programme in 2010, Japan recognised an average of only 30 refugees per year until 2020. Although the number increased in 2023 to 303 refugees, this is still dramatically lower than other developed countries. 

A key issue is that refugee status is entirely controlled by the Ministry of Justice, without inspections from independent third parties. This lack of transparency became a national controversy in 2021, when a detainee died in a detention centre, raising concerns about the government’s hidden treatment of asylum seekers. 

Another major challenge for applicants is the high burden of proof required to demonstrate persecution in their home country. The government demands detailed documentation, even though many asylum seekers have fled in urgent situations and erased personal records. Additionally, interviews require applicants to recall traumatic experiences multiple times in a highly detailed manner. This makes it difficult to pass and contributes to the low acceptance rate. 

Japan also distinguishes between official “refugees” and “evacuees”, the latter of whom are granted temporary stay on humanitarian grounds. In 2023, while only 303 people were granted refugee status, 1,005 individuals, mostly from Ukraine and Myanmar, were permitted to stay as evacuees. Unlike recognised refugees, evacuees do not receive the same legal protections or long-term residency rights. This approach allows Japan to appear humanitarian, while still keeping its official refugee numbers very low. 

Beyond its policy, Japan’s reluctance to accept refugees is also rooted in its culture of how they perceive foreign nationals in their community. Historically, Japan has been a homogeneous society due to centuries of isolationist policies and geographical separation as an island nation. Foreign nationals made up only 1.68% of Japan’s total population in 2021, which makes a stark contrast to the 16% foreign-born population in the UK, as another island nation. 

This homogeneity has shaped a cautious attitude toward outsiders, with a general preference for social harmony and minimal disruption being identified as social standards. Unlike Western countries, where refugee issues are often part of political and human rights discussions, refugees generally receive far less public attention in Japan, even though some people do have a growing awareness of it. The public being less well versed on this theme, makes it easier for the government to justify strict refugee policies without any significant backlash. 

While there are efforts to encourage cultural exchange and internationalisation, attitudes toward migrants remain conservative. Many Japanese people have limited direct interaction with foreigners, reinforcing the perception that refugees and migrants are outsiders who may not integrate easily into the society. This, in turn, reduces public support for increasing refugee recognition. 

Japan’s refugee acceptance policies remain strict and exclusionary, despite its huge financial contributions to international humanitarian schemes. The government’s strict screening process, associated with a cultural resistance to migration, continues to limit the number of refugees who can resettle in the country. While Japan’s approach may seem unusual from a Western perspective, it reflects a deeply rooted national preference for controlled migration and a stable society. Addressing this issue would require not only policy reform but also a shift in public attitude towards inclusiveness, as a part of the world where everyone has the right to a safe place to live. 

This article was written for The Diversity Trust guest blog by Maaya Sato, a student at Goldsmiths University, who completed a placement with us January to March 2025.

References: 

Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus ‘Still A Negative Case? Japan’s Changing Refugee Policy un The Face of New Geopolitical Challenges’ – https://apjjf.org/2024/6/rehm 

Concern worldwide – https://www.concern.net/news/which-countries-take-in-the-most-refugees 

Human Rights Watch ‘World report: Japan’ – https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/japan  

Integral Human Development – https://migrants-refugees.va/country-profile/japan/ 

The International Rescue Committee in the UK – https://www.rescue.org/uk/article/facts-about-refugees-key-facts-faqs-and-statistics 

International Social Service Japan – https://www.issj.org/en/migrants/about 

International Social Service Japan ‘Residence Status and Social Services’ – https://www.issj.org/en/migrants/refugees-and-social-resources 

JapanAssociation for Refugees ‘Refugees in Japan’ – https://www.refugee.or.jp/en/refugee/ 

JapanAssociation for Refugees ‘Why Japan recognises only a few refugees? Institutional challenges’ – https://www.refugee.or.jp/en/reports/articles/2017/09/japan_recog17_en/ 

  The Nippon Communications Foundation – https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01954/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20number%20of,given%20refugee%20status%20in%202023. 

Oxford Academic ‘Journal of Refugee Studies’ – https://academic.oup.com/jrs/article/35/3/1364/6552805?login=true  

The UN Refugee Agency – https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics   

UNHCR ‘Fact sheet: Japan’ – https://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/JAPAN%20Fact%20Sheet-June%202021.pdf  

UNHCR ‘refworld: Global Law & Policy Database’ – https://www.refworld.org/policy/upr/unhcr/2023/en/149026?prevDestination=search&prevPath=/search?keywords=Japan+asylum+refugee&order=desc&sm_country_name[]=Japan&sort=ds_created&result=result-149026-en