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Japan

Key statistics

60,848

people were under UNHCR’s mandate in Japan in 2024, including refugees, asylum-seekers, and stateless persons

31,293

are registered asylum-seekers by the end of 2024, mostly coming from Ukraine, making Japan a key country of asylum

479

people are stateless in Japan, highlighting protection needs for individuals without nationality

Japan is a State party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and one of UNHCR’s top donors globally. The country plays a vital role in global refugee protection.

In 2024, significant political and legislative shifts shaped the operating context, including a hung parliament and the full enforcement of the amended Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. While the new Complementary Protection system was a welcome step, concerns remain regarding provisions that may increase the risks of refoulement. Around 12,000 new asylum claims and over 1,000 CFP applications were recorded. The government also amended its guidelines to address statelessness more explicitly.

UNHCR provides policy and technical support to Japan to strengthen asylum systems, improve integration conditions, and advocate for accession to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions. Engagement with national authorities, parliamentarians, municipalities, civil society, academia, media, and the private sector remained central to promoting public support and accurate narratives around forced displacement. Initiatives such as JICA’s education pathways and discussions on labour mobility created new opportunities for refugee inclusion.

Japan as a donor

Find out more about the funds raised by the government and private sector in Japan to support UNHCR.

Visit the donor page

Population and financial overview

Japan

Use the year selector to access information from previous years.

Populations

Population types
Population by country
Population by origin

Financial

Budget and expenditure trend
Budget by pillar
Budget by objective
Expenditure by Outcome Area
Budget by Impact Area
Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Impact Area
Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions
Budget by Impact Area
Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Impact Area
Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

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Strategy - Country

Strategy

For more information about our work in Japan:

Japan website

Find more information on our work in the area and the latest local news and stories.

Japan | 日本 (日本語) website

 

Refworld

Find legislation, case law and UNHCR policy relating to claims for international protection.

Visit Refworld

 

Office contact details

The UNHCR Representation in Japan

Street and mailing address:
Wesley Center 6-10-11, Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, 107-0062 Tokyo, Japan

Phone:
+81 33 499 2011

Fax:
+81 33 499 2272

Email:
[email protected]

Time zone:
GMT +9

Working hours

  • Monday: 9:30 - 17:30
  • Tuesday: 9:30 - 17:30
  • Wednesday: 9:30 - 17:30
  • Thursday: 9:30 - 17:30
  • Friday: 9:30 - 17:30
  • Saturday: closed
  • Sunday: closed