・In Japan, international human rights law is given a low profile. It ought to be a part of the domestic
law and positioned superior to statutes. However cases related to immigration matters have only indicated the judiciary’s indifference to human rights issues. For example, in 1979, the Supreme Court
declared that foreigners in Japan enjoy rights only to the extent permitted by their residence status,
giving no rights to non-status foreigners in Japan. This demonstrates why most asylum seekers are not
protected nor given assistance under the law.