Japan
Japan
UNHCR works to protect asylum space and foster refugee inclusion in Japan amid evolving political dynamics and legal reforms.
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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.
Population and financial overview
Japan
Use the year selector to access information from previous years.
Populations
Population types
Population types
Note: The "Stateless" category does not include stateless people who are also in other categories, to avoid double counting. The total number of stateless, across all categories, is .
NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.
Population by country
Population by country
NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.
Population by origin
Population by origin
NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.
Financial
Budget and expenditure trend
Budget and expenditure trend
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by pillar
Budget by pillar
Budget by objective
Budget by objective
Note: The table presents the budget for this operation broken down at the objective level. Resource allocation at the objective level is subject to change during the course of the year as the operational situation evolves and priorities shift. The current budget, reflected in the bottom line of this table, is updated on a monthly basis and is replaced by the final budget at year-end.
Expenditure by Outcome Area
Expenditure by Outcome Area
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Source: 2024 budget and 2023 current budget are taken from the budget document approved by UNHCR's Executive Committee in October 2023.
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
yearselected
Strategy - Country
Strategy
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
