The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons visited Japan from 26 September to 7 October 2022.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, following the great east-Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, was a devastating and unprecedented event in the country’s history, displacing more than 470,000 persons. While the majority of those displaced have since returned home or resettled, thousands of persons displaced by the nuclear disaster continue to face uncertain futures due to fears over radiation and its uncertain long-term impact on health, and concerns over access to basic services.

While commending the Government of Japan for its swift response to the disaster and for enacting concrete measures to ensure emergency protection and assistance and compensation and remedy to displaced persons, the Special Rapporteur raises concerns over the disparate treatment afforded to evacuees who received an official evacuation order as opposed to those who chose to evacuate on their own accord. She highlights the challenges faced by displaced persons in realizing their human rights and makes recommendations to address them