CASE NOTE
TOKYO HIGH COURT, JUDGMENT, HEISEI 30 NEN
(GYOU-KO), No 232 (29 JANUARY 2020)
OSAMU ARAKAKI * AND WAWINE WAWORUNTU YAMASHITA ∗∗
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction........................................................................................................... 317
Facts ...................................................................................................................... 318
Issues..................................................................................................................... 320
Holding ................................................................................................................. 320
Reasoning ............................................................................................................. 322
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 323
INTRODUCTION
Japan is a party to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (‘Refugee
Convention’) 1 and its Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (‘1967
Protocol’), 2 but it has not acceded to the Convention Relating to the Status of
Stateless Persons (‘1954 Convention’), which addresses the protection of stateless
persons. 3 Thus, stateless persons in Japan can seek international protection
through, inter alia, recognition of their refugee status, but only if they qualify as
refugees. 4 The case of Heisei 30 Nen (Gyou-ko) No 232 is a recent decision of the
Tokyo High Court involving the recognition of refugee status where statelessness
was an essential consideration. The Tokyo High Court’s judgment in this case was
not subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court of Japan, making the decision
final and binding.
This decision is unique. Unlike the majority of judicial asylum cases in Japan,
it demonstrated how the implications of statelessness can be relevant in
determining whether a person meets the definition of ‘refugee’ provided in the
Refugee Convention. It is hoped that the ruling of the court will contribute to the
jurisprudence concerning protection of stateless persons under the Refugee
*
∗∗
1
2
3
4
Osamu Arakaki is professor of international law at International Christian University, Tokyo.
Wawine Waworuntu Yamashita is a member of the Study Group for Statelessness, Tokyo.
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, opened for signature 28 July 1951, 189 UNTS
150 (entered into force 22 April 1954) (‘Refugee Convention’).
Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, opened for signature 31 January 1967, 606 UNTS
267 (entered into force 4 October 1967) (‘1967 Protocol’).
Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, opened for signature 28 September
1954, 360 UNTS 117 (entered into force 6 June 1960).
A limited number of judicial asylum decisions in Japan have considered statelessness as an
integral factor. These decisions show that stateless persons can be protected under the
Refugee Convention (n 1) if they are refugees, but they are not protected only for being
stateless. In the decisions, the relevant state in the determination of refugee status is the state
of former habitual residence of the applicants rather than the state of nationality. Osamu
Arakaki, ‘Statelessness Conventions and Japanese Laws: Convergence and Divergence’
(Study UNHCR March 2015) 78 <https://www.unhcr.org/jp/wpcontent/uploads/sites/34/protect/Statelessness_Conventions_and_Japanese_Laws_EN.pdf>.