Japan seminar confronts discrimination against children with foreign roots

A timely call to protect students who stand out

With classrooms diversifying across Japan, hundreds of educators gathered online Friday to confront a problem that many students with foreign roots say shadows their school years. About 200 teachers and education staff took part in a seminar on how to recognize and stop discriminatory behavior, according to coverage by NHK. The core message was plain: when adults see taunting or exclusion based on nationality, language, or appearance, they must step in and say it is harmful. Silence allows bias to harden into habit.

The urgency is real. Japan has welcomed more foreign workers in recent years, and the number of children with ties to other countries has grown. Yet many families still report isolation, bullying, and uneven access to support in school. International assessments back up those accounts. The Migration Integration Policy Index, a comparative survey of countries, scores Japan 47 out of 100 and places it among the weakest performers for anti-discrimination policy. The index notes that victims have few clear routes to justice because Japan lacks a dedicated anti-discrimination law or body. That gap leaves heavy responsibility on educators and local officials. Readers can review Japan’s profile on the MIPEX site.

Seminar organizer Hotta Emilie urged adults to set the tone. She said children copy what they see around them, so prejudice often reflects adult behavior. Her goal is to stop bias early and to remind young victims that they are not alone.

What happened at the seminar

The Friday session, held online to reach teachers nationwide, drew a largely school based audience along with counselors and community advocates. Presenters walked through common situations that play out on playgrounds, in hallways, and on social media. The focus was practical: what to do in the moment, how to follow up with families, and how to prevent repeat incidents.

One expert described survey results showing how many people with foreign roots carry scars from their student days. Teasing about not being Japanese, mocking accents, and exclusion from groups came up again and again. The advice was direct. When adults witness a taunt, name the behavior as hurtful and stop it. Explain why. Consistent intervention teaches all students that respect is a non negotiable rule in class.

Hotta added that adults have a duty to speak up in plain language. In her view, avoiding the topic or offering vague reminders about kindness leaves targets unsupported and bystanders unsure of what is acceptable. Clear standards, voiced by teachers and parents, give children permission to stand with classmates who feel singled out.

How widespread is discrimination in schools

Research and lived experience suggest the problem is common. A survey reported by the Asahi Shimbun found that 68 percent of 448 respondents in Japan with mixed ethnic or racial backgrounds had experienced bullying or discrimination. One case involved a second grader in Kanagawa Prefecture who dreaded school after classmates teased her for having darker skin. Her father, Canadian educator Kinota Braithwaite, asked to address the class. He offered a short lesson about the history of Black communities in Canada. The boy who had teased his daughter apologized, and the family turned the episode into a learning moment that later became a children’s book he reads at schools around the country.

A separate snapshot from a Tokyo based human rights group recorded similar patterns. In one Anti Racism Information Center survey, 167 out of 340 foreign respondents, including students, said they had suffered discriminatory acts. Interviewees described verbal abuse and occasional physical harassment. Waseda University professor Shunsuke Tanabe has observed that some people wrongly link a rise in the number of foreign residents to declining public security, a perception that fuels hostility toward newcomers.

Another survey, conducted by the Korean Scholarship Foundation among 1,030 students from high school through graduate school, adds detail on where harassment happens. About 31 percent said they had endured verbal abuse, often from classmates or at part time jobs. Nearly 74 percent had witnessed ethnic discrimination online. More than three quarters had seen hate demonstrations or speeches. About 24 percent faced discrimination in public places or when looking for housing. Women reported higher rates of verbal abuse, including cases involving Japanese teachers, which points to the added burden of gender bias.

The climate drives some young people to hide their identity. A Zainichi Korean graduate student told the Mainichi Shimbun that she keeps a low profile online to avoid harassment, even while studying in Japan.

I make sure it’s not obvious from my tweets.

Respondents also recalled slurs heard on the street and in class. Some said they were told to leave the country.

Go back to South Korea.

Such messages have a lasting effect. Sociologists who studied the survey data said direct abuse led many respondents to self blame, while constant exposure to hate speech darkened their views of society and made them withdraw from online spaces.

School culture and conformity pressures

Japanese schools prize uniformity in appearance and behavior. For years, many districts enforced strict rules on hair color and personal items. Public debate and lawsuits pushed authorities to revisit those rules, and several prefectures have relaxed them. Expectations that every student will look and act the same can make children who stand out feel suspect, especially those with different hair texture or eye color.

Critics also point to features of the education system that discourage open discussion of human rights. The education ministry approves school textbooks and sets detailed teaching guidelines known as Gakushu Shido Yoryo. Commentators argue that this framework leaves little room for comprehensive education about ethnicity, migration, and discrimination. That gap can leave students without a shared vocabulary for talking about difference.

Language instruction is another fault line. The ministry has expanded Japanese language support for children who need it. Experts such as Ritsumeikan University lecturer Ayano Yamada say schools also need age appropriate lessons for majority students that explain the experiences of peers with foreign roots. Without that balance, children who are learning Japanese can be treated as outsiders rather than classmates.

Policy gaps and the legal landscape

International comparisons underline how policy shapes classroom realities. The Migration Integration Policy Index rates Japan as slightly below average at 47 out of 100. On anti-discrimination, Japan ranks near the bottom, because the country has no comprehensive law, no dedicated enforcement body, and few accessible remedies for victims. A network of consultation centers for multicultural coexistence established in 2018 provides useful advice on residence, health, and education, but advisory services cannot substitute for legal guarantees.

Japan’s 2016 Hate Speech Act expresses a public stance against discrimination, yet it carries no penalties and does not cover online abuse. Survey results show that young people encounter much of the hostility on social media and video platforms, so the law leaves a wide gap between principle and daily experience.

Education policy has also sent mixed signals to minority communities. In 2010, the government excluded Chosen schools that serve Korean heritage students from a tuition waiver program for high school. The decision was tied to diplomatic tensions and domestic politics, and it triggered a long series of lawsuits. Courts issued mixed rulings, while school leaders reported funding shortfalls and harassment of students by hate groups. International human rights bodies criticized the exclusion as discriminatory and urged equal educational opportunities for all children. A detailed review of this policy history is available from the Asia Pacific Journal: Japan Focus analysis.

A United Nations monitoring process and civil society submissions have repeatedly urged Japan to strengthen protections for minority children, including Ainu, Buraku, Korean, and other communities. Government steps such as recognizing the Ainu as an indigenous people and promoting anti-bullying measures mark progress, yet enforcement and coverage remain uneven. Children still report prejudice in classrooms and on the way to school.

Inside the classroom, what works for educators

Research on bullying prevention and the guidance shared at the seminar point to a consistent playbook. Intervene quickly when you see or hear harm. Say exactly what was wrong, for example that mocking a classmate’s nationality or language is unacceptable. Check on the target in private. Address the wider class with a short lesson so that bystanders understand the standard. Follow up later to confirm that behavior has changed.

Real classroom stories show that direct engagement works. In Kanagawa, Braithwaite’s decision to talk with children about history and difference turned a tense episode into a learning experience. His book for children and his school visits give teachers a practical way to open conversations that many feel unprepared to lead.

Steps schools can take now

• Set clear classroom norms against bias based on nationality, language, religion, or appearance. Post them and revisit during homeroom.
• Practice short bystander scripts so students know how to respond safely when peers are targeted.
• Train staff to recognize bias based bullying, to document incidents, and to communicate with families quickly.
• Offer Japanese language support alongside lessons for majority students about diversity, migration, and respectful dialogue.
• Invite trusted community speakers and parents with international experience to share stories that humanize difference.
• Translate notices, counseling resources, and complaint forms into common languages, and assign a contact person for families with foreign roots.
• Teach media literacy focused on rumor, stereotypes, and hate speech, and monitor school related online spaces.
• Track incidents and review responses at staff meetings to strengthen protocols over time.

Consistent adult behavior is the thread that ties these steps together. A firm, calm response from teachers and parents signals to students that dignity is part of the school’s culture.

Voices from history and recognition

The debate over how to treat difference in school reaches back generations. Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum recently added a section highlighting foreign victims of the 1945 atomic bombings, including many Koreans who were living or working in the city at the time. Among those now speaking to students is Lee Jong Keun, who survived the blast at 16. For decades, he hid his origins and even used a Japanese name, fearing discrimination. His outreach today reflects a hard lesson learned over a lifetime, that recognition brings healing.

When children learn that tragic national events affected people of many backgrounds, it becomes easier to see classmates with diverse roots as part of a shared story. That perspective prepares them to resist simple stereotypes when they hear them in class or online.

What Japan’s government says

Officials point to policy steps that touch on inclusion. The education ministry updates anti-bullying guidance and funds Japanese language instruction for students who need it. National and local governments operate counseling hotlines and multicultural consultation centers that help families navigate schools, health insurance, and residence procedures. Parliament recognized the Ainu as an indigenous people, a symbolic step that many hope will translate into better cultural education and services.

These moves matter, yet families and advocates say stronger rules are still missing. Without a comprehensive anti-discrimination law and a dedicated body to enforce it, schools and municipalities shoulder much of the burden. The seminar’s popularity shows that educators want concrete tools. It also highlights the value of a clear national standard that protects every child from prejudice.

Key Points

• About 200 teachers and education staff joined a Friday seminar on protecting children with foreign roots from discrimination.
• Experts urged adults to intervene immediately when taunts occur and to avoid silence that normalizes harm.
• Organizer Hotta Emilie said children mirror adult behavior and called for early action and reminding victims they are not alone.
• Asahi survey: 68 percent of respondents with mixed heritage reported bullying or discrimination in Japan.
• Mainichi survey of 1,030 students documented widespread online hate, verbal harassment, and discrimination in daily life.
• MIPEX rates Japan 47 out of 100 and ranks it among the weakest for anti-discrimination policy and remedies.
• Japan’s 2016 Hate Speech Act has no penalties and does not cover online abuse.
• Chosen schools were excluded from a 2010 tuition waiver program, drawing international criticism and years of litigation.
• Effective school measures include clear norms, bystander training, language support, and steady follow up by staff.
• Recognition of foreign hibakusha in Hiroshima shows how inclusive narratives can reshape attitudes among students.