First-ever ruling on marriage equality in Japan finds current ban unconstitutional Ruling comes after lawsuit brought by three same-sex couples for psychological damage ‘Japan has been lagging behind’ - Suki Chung In response to today’s district court ruling in Japan that the government’s failure to recognise same-sex marriage is unconstitutional - the country’s first-ever judicial ruling on marriage equality - Suki Chung, Regional Campaigner at Amnesty International, said: “The court’s decision is a groundbreaking step for same-sex couples in their pursuit of equal rights. “The ruling can set

In response to the news that Wei Wei, a 40-year-old Chinese national, was executed in Japan on Thursday morning, Arnold Fang, East Asia Researcher at Amnesty International, said: “Today’s execution is a shameful black mark on Japan’s human rights record and exposes the government’s shocking lack of respect for the right to life. “Ahead of a year when Japan will be hosting the Olympic Games, the country has shown that it lags far behind most of its peers. More than 100 countries worldwide have completely abolished the death penalty, while Japan persists with this barbaric punishment. “We urge

Amnesty International has again called on Japan to abolish the death penalty after two men were executed in the country this morning. In the early hours of Friday morning, Koichi Shoji, 64, was hanged at Tokyo Detention Centre, while Yasunori Suzuki, 50, was hanged at Fukuoka Detention Centre. Both had been convicted of murder. The executions are the first in Japan in 2019, and bring the total number of executions under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration to 38. Currently, 110 individuals remain on death row in Japan. Roseann Rife, East Asia Research Director at Amnesty International

Japan’s recent spate of executions will not make the country safer, said Amnesty International, in reaction to the executions of a further six members of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo (Aum) this morning (Thursday 26 July). July has now seen 13 people executed for their involvement in the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, which killed 13 people and injured thousands more, as well as their involvement in other illegal activities. The last time Japan executed more than 10 people in a year was in 2008. It is also extremely rare for Japan to carry out two rounds of executions in

The executions in Japan of seven members of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo (Aum) this morning, including the group’s ‘guru’ Chizuo Matsumoto, does not deliver justice, Amnesty International said. The executions are the first among the 13 people convicted and sentenced to death for their roles in the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway and other illegal activities. The subway attack killed 13 people and left thousands more suffering the effects of the nerve gas. Hiroka Shoji, East Asia Researcher at Amnesty International, said: “Today’s executions are unprecedented in recent

A subsidiary of global Japanese beer brand Kirin donated to the Myanmar army during its ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya people, our evidence suggests.

Kirin’s subsidiary company, Myanmar Brewery, made three donations amounting to $30,000 between 1 September and 3 October 2017.

Japanese authorities must urgently launch an investigation into payments that a subsidiary of the multinational brewing giant Kirin made to Myanmar’s military and authorities at the height of an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya population in late 2017, Amnesty International said today. In correspondence with Amnesty International, including a clarification note sent on 13 June, Kirin Holdings Company, Inc. said that its subsidiary Myanmar Brewery made three donations totalling USD $30,000 (£22,500) to the authorities between 1 September and 3 October 2017. Kirin said that the