Japanese government sued over alleged police profiling of foreign-born residents

Three foreign-born residents of Japan filed a lawsuit on Monday against the national and local governments over alleged illegal questioning by police based on racial profiling.

The three men filed the lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court seeking that the national, Tokyo Metropolitan and Aichi Prefecture governments recognize that it is illegal for police officers to stop and question the plaintiffs solely on the basis of their race, nationality or ethnicity.

The lawsuit which seeks 3.3 million yen (US$22,313) in compensation for each plaintiff is the first such lawsuit in Japan, according to the plaintiffs' lawyers. It comes amid a sharp increase in the number of foreign workers to stem labour shortages as the country's population declines.

The case comes amid recent debate over what it means to be and look Japanese, after a Ukrainian-born, naturalized Japanese citizen who is Caucasian was crowned Miss Japan last week.

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