CHILD RIGHTS PROJECT:
JAPAN
CURRENT SITUATION
CHILD LABOUR DOES EXIST IN JAPAN
The ILO estimates the number of child labourers in developed nations as two million out of the total number of 152 million in the world (2017). Child labour does exist in Japan, though official data on child labour is not available. As child poverty becomes a serious problem, child labour is expected to increase.
The problems that Japanese children face, such as poverty, neglect, abuse, bullying and long-term absence from school, are considered to be associated with the risk of child labour.
ACE conducts activities to prevent and eliminate child labour to contribute to the achievement of SDG 8.7, which includes the target of the elimination of all child labour by 2025, and broadly protect the rights of the child and the youth in Japan.
2 MILLION
CHILD LABOURERS
IN DEVELOPED NATIONS
DEFINITION OF CHILD LABOUR IN JAPAN
Japan ratified the ILO Conventions No. 138 (Minimum age for work) and No. 182 (Worst forms of child labour). Their contents are reflected in the Labour Standards Act.
The Act stipulates:
>the minimum age for work at 15 years old (after completing compulsory education; and
> the prohibition of hazardous work which harms the health, safety or morals of children below 18 years old.
Exception (1) - Children who are 13 and above may be employed in light work which does not harm their health and welfare, with the permission of relevant government agency, outside of school hours
Exception (2) - Children who are employed in the production of motion pictures and theatrical performance can work with the permission of relevant government agency irrespective of age.
WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR IN JAPAN
VIOLATIONS OF LABOUR STANDARDS ACT
-
Human trafficking
-
Child pornography
-
Commercial sexual exploitation of children
-
Enjo-kosai (compensated dating)
-
JK business
-
Engagement in illicit activities
-
Hazardous construction work
-
Night-time entertainment business (hostess clubs, host clubs, bars and clubs)
Part-time high school workers doing late night-time work and long working hours
RESEARCH
We conduct research on the different forms, cases and factors of child labour in Japan.
Take a look at our latest report, "Child Labour Exists in Japan: Its Forms and Cases" (2019).
AWARENESS
We conduct various activities to raise awareness of Japanese child labour, as many people do not believe it exists.
In order to inform the public about what child labour is in Japan and prevent children from child labour, we produce leaflets for children and employees and distribute them to high school students, organizations working for children, businesses, trade unions, school teachers and other relevant stakeholders.
RESEARCH &
AWARENESS-RAISING
SERIES OF GUIDEBOOKS ON EMPLOYMENT RULE
For secondary school students
“Shitteru? Hatarakuhito wo mamoru ruru”
[Do you know rules which protect workers?]
For high school students
.jpg)
“Anata no arubaito wa daijobu?”
[Is your part-time work OK?]
For adults
.jpg)
“Anata no shokuba de nenshosha no rodo-kankyo ga mamorarete-imasuka?”
[Do you ensure safe and legal working conditions for children?]
Please take a look at our Awareness Program for more information on our activities in Japan.
COMMUNITY PROJECT
We plan to start projects for the prevention and elimination of child labour in cooperation with schools and communities in Japan. The targets include children who work after completing compulsory education, drop-outs from high school and children working part-time while in education.
UPDATES COMING SOON
In Japan, there is neither law nor designated government department that is dedicated to the elimination of child labour. We lobby to the government to take immediate and proper action to eliminate and prevent child labour in Japan as well as in other countries.
Go to our Advocacy page for more information.
ADVOCACY
RECENT ACTIVITIES
-
2022August 30, 2022 Submitted public comments on the draft, “Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains” June 14, 2022 Signed a letter, “Anti-Trafficking Leaders Call on G7 to Address Forced Labour” May 19, 2022 Co-organized a side event on “The Child Labour Free Zone in Ghana at the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour Conference” Read the blog post!
-
2021November 25, 2021 Signed a Position Paper, “Mainstreaming Child Rights: a Call for a UN-wide Strategy on Child Rights in Response to Our Common Agenda” November 2, 2021 Signed an open letter to G7 Trade Ministers, “Fulfilling Commitments to Ending Forced Labour” August 24, 2021 Contributed to the formulation of the National Action Plan on Violence against Children by making comments to the Japanese government July 7, 2021 Submitted the public comments on the Voluntary National Review, which was partially included June 30, 2021 Signed a joint open letter to G7 Trade Ministers June 15, 2021 Submitted more than 70 thousand signatures to the Chief Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to advocate for the elimination of child labour May 12, 2021 Made a 2021 Action Pledge in the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour April 21, 2021 Organized a multi-stakeholder meeting to discuss actions and possibilities for collaboration during the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour in the Diet Member's Building (parliament)
-
2020November 26, 2020 Organized a breakout session at the C20 2020 Summit, “Promoting CSO-Business-Government Collaboration in the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour towards the Achievement of SDG 8.7” March 18, 2020 Submitted public comments on the draft “National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights” January 23, 2020 Submitted public comments on the draft “Implementation Plan on SDGs (outline)”
-
2019December 21, 2019 Submitted public comments on “the Fundamental Principles regarding Anti-child Poverty Measures" November 25-27, 2019 Participated in the 2019 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva October 18, 2019 Raised awareness regarding NHK's documentary “The situation of children of foreign workers: behind the increase in its numbers” September 2, 2019 Organized the third SDG 8.7 Dialogue in Matsuyama for the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting. Read about our SDG 8.7 Dialogues Commitment to the elimination of child labour was included in the Ministerial Declaration August 27, 2019 Organized a side event on the “Cooperation between NGOs and Governments to Realize Child Rights of Agriculture in West Africa,” at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama July 17, 2019 G20 Osaka Leaders’ Declaration Commitment to the elimination of child labour was included in the Leaders’ Declaration July 9-18, 2019 Participated in the High Level Political Forum 2019 in New York May 14-15, 2019 Participated in the Second Global Meeting of the Alliance 8.7 Action Group on Supply Chains in Abidjan April 23, 2019 Organized the second SDG 8.7 Dialogue at Hotel New Ohtani Tokyo for the Second G20 Employment Working Group Meeting. April 20-21, 2019 Supported the organization of the C20 Summit Tokyo ACE president, Yuka Iwatsuki presented the Policy Pack 2019 to the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the Chair of C20 Japan 2019. February 27, 2019 Organized the first SDG 8.7 Dialogue in the Diet Member's Building (parliament), for the First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting. February 19, 2019 Made public comments on “The report on the base-line study on business and human rights” February 18-19, 2019 Contributed to organizing the C20 Preparatory Face-to-Face Meeting
-
2018December 3-5, 2018 Participated in the 2018 Freedom from Slavery Forum in Bangkok November 14, 2018 Organized a film event “The Price of Free” in the Diet Member's Building (parliament) on the 100 Million Campaign’s Global Day of Action conducted by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation October 26, 2018 Organized a seminar on “Reducing the risks of human rights violation in supply chains” inviting the Associate Deputy Undersecretary of the International Labour Affairs Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labour, in the Diet Member's Building (parliament) June 18, 2018 Organized a seminar, “Child labour exists in Japan”, in the Diet Member's Building (parliament) January 10, 2018 Made a statement on the death of a fifteen-year-old Japanese child labourer
-
2017November 14-16, 2017 Participated in the Fourth Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour in Buenos Aires September 12-13, 2017 Participated in the NGO Forum - Alliance 8.7 in London
-
2016May 13, 2016 Co-organized a roundtable meeting on SDG 8.7 with the Child Labor Coalition (U.S.) in Tokyo, with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Kailash Satyarthi. Summary Report on the Roundtable Meeting: Strategies to End Child Labour by 2025 (SDG Target 8.7)
