After researching many topics concerning China this fall it has become clear to me what the biggest issue is. While there are many human rights violations it is clear that the Uyghur genocide is the most severe. There is a people group that is being put in concentration camps targeted solely based on their ethnicity. It is hard to fathom that in 2022 countries are still committing atrocities like this. It’s even more concerning that not many people have heard about it. The Uyghurs are an ethnic group of about 12 million people who live in the east province of Xinjiang in China. Since 2017, the Chinese government has arbitrarily detained more than one million Muslims in detention camps. From satellite images we can see at least 85 camps in this province alone. The Chinese government at first denied that these camps existed but now has said that these are re-education centers. They are not educating these people but rather they are arresting them and beating and torturing them. In addition, Uyghurs in the region were subjected to increased surveillance, forced labor and forced sterilization, as well as other abuses. Even outside the camps, the 12  million Uyghurs living in Xinjiang – officially called the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region – continue to suffer decades of oppression by the Chinese authorities. They cannot name their children Muslim names and clerics are being arrested. Their practices and ways of life are being suppressed by the Chinese government. The leaders want to separate into a different country since many of them are not ethnically Chinese. They want to become a country called East Turkestan. While there have been long held historical issues between the Uyghurs and the Chinese government, this is absolutely unacceptable and they need to be held accountable for it. They are committing acts of genocide and the Uyghur people are protesting but they are being heavily silenced. We need to bring attention and cannot allow 12 million people to be targeted and killed.

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-xinjiang-uyghurs-muslims-repression-genocide-human-rights 

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/11/independence-east-turkistan-china-uyghurs-xinjiang/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/uighurs/

International humanitarian law failed in the Rwandan genocide because civilians were directly targeted in the violence which is a violation of humanitarian laws. Personally, I think the question of whether or not the US should have intervened in Rwanda is tricky one, because on the one hand, their intervention could have minimized casualties and saved lives, however, we have also seen time and time again that US intervention often causes more harm then good.

Humanitarian law is a set of internationally agreed upon rules that aim to limit the effects of armed conflicts by attempting to set boundaries to war that protect the human rights of all those involved. Japan’s constitution upholds these humanitarian laws and has continued to make significant and constructive contributions towards the establishment of the rule of law. Although there have been no genocides within or perpetuated by Japan, there have been two significant massacres. The first one was the Kantō Massacre which occurred in 1923 when Japanese military, police and vigilantes committed the mass murder of Koreans living within the Kantō region. The second one, known as Nanjing Massacre or the Rape of Nanjing, happened on Chinese soil, but was perpetrated by Japan. This six-week mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing is considered one of the worst atrocities committed during World War II. In both instances, the Japanese government attempted to hide the true scale of atrocities committed, and tensions between Chinese citizens, Korean citizens, and Japanese citizens continue to run high.

Fundamental human rights are formally protected under Chapter III of the Japanese Constitution and the wording of these articles are very similar to the wording with the UDHR. However, there is no law within the constitution that prohibits discrimination based on one’s racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or gender identity.

Sources:

Japanese Constitution

Overview: Human Rights in Japan

Kantō Massacre

Nanjing Massacre

Japan International Law

ICRC: Japan

Humanitarian Law

Rules of War

Although Japan is a very modernized country, its conservative culture has led to high levels of discrimination, especially towards the queer community. In the Japan, there is no law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This lack of protection has allowed queerphobic hate crimes to go unidentified, putting queer Japanese at high risk. Furthermore, Article 24 of the Japanese Constitution only grants marriage rights to same-sex couples, affectively banning gay marriages within Japan. The law reads, “Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through mutual cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis.” Although the law itself is not specifically queerphobic, the lack of very definitive language of husband and wife exclude queer couples from representation under this law.

In 2019 14 queer filed law suits against the Japanese government on grounds of violating their rights to free union and equality. Unfortunately, on June 20 of this year, the court rejected their demands for 1 million yen, claiming that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage e does not violate the constitution, thus upholding their legal discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This ruling serves as setback for queer activists in Japan and indicates the country’s unwillingness to modernize their culture.

Sources:

https://time.com/6189670/japan-same-sex-marriage-lgbt/

https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/east-asia/japan/report-japan/

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/japan

https://japan.kantei.go.jp/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1106313824/japan-court-ban-on-same-sex-marriage-constitutional

Japan is one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots identified by Conservation International. This indicates Japan’s incredibly rich biodiversity and high percentages of endemic species. About one-third of Japan’s plants, half of its mammals, nearly half of its reptiles, and almost all of its amphibians are endemic to the islands. Much of this has to do with the isolation that comes with being an island, allowing plants and animals to evolve without contact with outside species. Another reason for the high levels of endemic species are the wide variety of climates within Japan, from the snowy mountains in Hokkaido to the beaches of Okinawa. Furthermore, only about 18% of land in Japan is inhabited with 11.7% considered farmland and 5.2% considered developed land. That means that nearly 70% of land in Japan is made up of forests and fields, which is yet another reason for their incredible biodiversity.

Despite the incredible biodiversity that Japan fosters, human activity is threatening to endanger that. For example, after World War II, clear-cutting of high-elevation conifer forests was promoted by the Forestry Agency of Japan to replace them with Japanese timber species. However, Japanese timber production has significantly declined due to its high cost compared to cheaper imported timber. Tourism has also put a significant strain on biodiversity as many forests are being cleared in order to build resorts and other tourist destinations. The increase in tourism has also led to the further development of public transportation, which allows easier to access previously remote destinations, putting wildlife at risk of destruction due to human activity. Furthermore, the introduction of invasive plant and animals species have significantly disrupted Japan’s natural biodiversity. For example, the Indian grey mongoose, Javan mongoose and Siberian weasel were introduced in order to control the snake population, but have instead caused a significant decline in native bird and mammal populations.

Sources:

Statistical Handbook of Japan 2022

Japan – Critical Ecosystem

National Geographic

Japan Biodiversity Outlook 2

In Japan, nationalism has played a significant part in shaping cultural and political ideologies.  However, before we dive into the specific effects, it is important to define nationalism and ideology. Ideology is defined as a system of ideas, beliefs, or values, usually focused on political and economic theories. Ideology is inescapable in essence because it is intrinsically connected to every single aspect of our lives whether the intention was there or not.  Nationalism is defined as the support of your nation, which manifests through the adoption of your nation’s ideologies. Although these ideas aren’t harmful in moderation, the adoption of extreme nationalistic ideologies can have serious impacts on a country’s society and how it interacts with other countries on the international stage.

Being an island nation, for much of its early history, Japan was isolated from the outside world, especially the Western world which can explain Japan’s reaction to the first American in Japan. The arrival of Matthew Perry in 1853 led to an increase in early cultural nationalistic ideologies as the Japanese felt threatened by foreign encroachment. These ideologies manifested in the Russo-Japanese War where Japan’s mission was to conquer new land to expand the Empire of Japan.  These same ideologies manifested in Japan’s actions in World War II, as propaganda and nationalistic pride were essential to Japanese society at the time. Nationalism in Japan declined after their defeat which led to the occupation of Japan by US military forces. However, recent political shifts in Japan have shifted political and cultural nationalism in a dangerous direction.

Firstly, during his time in office, Abe and his party were committed to returning to the prewar order which consist of the worship of the emperor, militarism, and the eradication of Western values and individualistic human rights. His nationalistic agenda was very domestically focused, and he attempted to reinforce Japanese historical traditions and bolster national identity. Of course, the abdication of Emperor Akihito served to revitalize discussions about the role of the Emperor in modern Japan, fueling both royalist sentiments as well as more progressive ideologies about Japan’s need to modernize. Furthermore, the assassination of Abe has yet again refueled discussions of Japanese nationalism as the assailant blamed the Unification of the Church, a political move that was rooted in promoting nationalistic ideologies, for the hardships his mother faced, and assassinated Abe in response to his support of the religious group.

Furthermore, cultural nationalism has played a huge role in Japan’s incredibly high levels of homogeneity caused by their very strict immigration laws. 98.1% of the Japanese population is ethnically Japanese, and, despite its declining population, Japan is still fairly aversed to immigration. These regulations are rooted in nationalistic ideologies and Japan’s incredibly strong sense of national identity, leading to high levels of xenophobia within the Japanese population.

Sources:

Diversity Abroad

Politics Today

History Channel

Reuters

US Office of the Historian

BBC

Like practically every country, the war in Ukraine has affected the economy and politics of Japan.  However, before exploring the specifics of these effects, it is important to note Japan’s history with Russia. Since the 19th century, Russia and Japan have had disagreements about the Northern Territories – 4 northern islands of Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashiri and Etorofu. Although Japan was the first to discover these islands, establishing control, the 1855 Treaty of Commerce concluded an amicable alliance between Russia and Japan within these territories. However, during the end of WWII, Soviet forces expelled all Japanese residents from the Northern Islands. As time has gone on, negotiations have continued between the two countries both have agreed to friendly terms once again. However, Russia’s attack on Ukraine has made Japan very cautious about how to proceed, fearing Russian forces will once again attempt to regain control of the islands. The war in Ukraine is a clear violation of their previous bilateral relationship, causing Japan to stand with fellow G7 members in publicly  denouncing the aggressive actions of the Russian government and implementing sanctions.

The implementation of Russian sanctions has also had a significant effect on the Japanese economy. The ban on Russian lumber exports has affected construction work in Japan, as many companies are struggling to secure supplies inducing a “wood shock”. Subsequently, the cost of wood construction has increased as access is increasingly limited.  Furthermore, other sectors, such as agriculture, have also experienced rises in prices.  Many Japanese companies have also been forced to change their manufacturing processes to compensate for supply chain vulnerabilities. The overall harmful effect of the Ukraine war on the Japanese has led to a sharp fall in the Japanese Yen, which subsequently minimizes the value of Japanese labor. This could have serious economic and security consequences for Japan as it hits to the collapse of a system of the international division of labor that has benefitted the Japanese economy for years.

In conclusion, despite being geographically disconnected from Europe, the Russia-Ukraine war has had a tremendous effect on Japanese politics and economy.

Sources:

Japanese Perspectives on the Ukraine Wawr by Katsumi Ishizuka and Ashild Kolas

Ukraine War: The Impact on Japan-Russia Relations by Mercy Kuo

Half of Japanese Companies Report Impact on Supply Chain from Ukraine War

Northern Territories Issue by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

By Danna Rubesh