Japan

Country Overview
Targeted Groups | Perpetrators | Alert Status | Genocide Stage(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Watch | Stage 3: Discrimination, Stage 10: Denial |
Details
Japan has long practiced historical revisionism regarding their Empire-era atrocities. From the late 1800s to 1945, the Japanese Empire committed numerous war crimes against multiple peoples across the Asia-Pacific region. Some still deny the atrocities committed by the Japanese Empire. Nationalistic views have grown more prominent despite low favorability and a strong tradition of pacifism.
Additionally, Japan appears to be dismantling its postwar pacifist framework. In April 2026, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lifted Japan’s longstanding ban on lethal arms exports. Takaichi has also pushed for a revision of Article 9 of the Constitution, in which the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation.
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Resources
Nationalism on the rise: Anti-foreign rhetoric gains ground in Japan
Article 9 in focus as Takaichi pushes for revision of Constitution
Japan ‘cannot avoid’ nuclear weapons debate, defense chief Koizumi says


