"Japan is a wonderful country. But the government is cruel."
So, I was very fortunate to catch the world premiere of the documentary Ushiku today, filmed mainly with a hidden camera inside the Ushiku immigration centre in Tokyo (from 2019 to 2021). Despite being one of the G7 countries declaring their willingness to help and provide a safe place for refugees, Japan actually only accepts an average of 0,2% of all refugee applicants. Those who are denied entry to the country but cannot return to their home countries due to fear of being killed are held in various detention centres, often for years. Here they often suffer from harsh and inhumane treatment, and even if they are granted a temporary leave (usually for just 2 weeks and only after going on hunger strike or, most recently, for several months due to the corona virus pandemic) they have to pay a fee to get out, but are not allowed to move to another prefecture, are not allowed to work and are not elligible for health insurance. Especially in light of the still upcoming Tokyo Olympics it's important to shed light on these violations of human rights that have so far been mostly kept quiet by the Japanese government. If you like, you can watch Ushiku online from Tue., June 01, 2021 - Sun., June 06, 2021 during the Japanese Film Festival "Nippon Connection" for a fee of 6€/~7$ here:
https://watch.nipponconnection.com/en/film/ushiku/