Children's Access to Justice for Environmental Rights | Japan

This report looks at whether the laws and policies in Japan make it possible for children to access their environmental rights.

Japan’s Constitution does not expressly recognise environmental rights, and courts have not affirmed such rights as independent constitutional guarantees. Environmental harms are instead addressed through personal rights, such as life, health, and bodily integrity. While courts have recognised pollution-related harms in civil cases, they have been reluctant to acknowledge broader environmental rights and concepts such as intergenerational equity have not yet been applied in judicial decisions. Japan has extensive environmental legislation and regulatory systems, including pollutant registers, but these rarely incorporate child-specific considerations.

Children can access environmental justice mainly through civil and administrative proceedings, but they cannot bring cases in their own name and must act through legal representatives. Although standing rules have gradually expanded for individuals affected by environmental harm, courts remain hesitant to grant standing to groups or NGOs.

Children’s civil and political rights, such as expression, assembly, association, and access to information, are legally protected, though subject to practical and legal limitations.

This report was published in January 2026 and developed with the support of Mikiko Otani and Masako Ichihara, as well as finalised based on any feedback from the State. To learn more read the full report below, and please get in touch if this information was useful and you want to talk more.