About 450 people in Japan have filed a first-of-its-kind mass lawsuit accusing the central government of unconstitutional inaction on climate change, citing this year's record-hot summer and resulting harm to health and livelihoods. The plaintiffs seek symbolic damages of 1,000 yen each to emphasise state responsibility rather than financial gain. Legal experts say the case aims to raise public awareness and could echo similar constitutional climate rulings in South Korea and Germany.
Hundreds Sue Japan’s Government, Calling Climate Inaction 'Unconstitutional' in Landmark Case
This year, Japan sweltered through its hottest summer since records began (Kazuhiro NOGI)(Kazuhiro NOGI/AFP/AFP)
Hundreds of citizens across Japan filed a landmark lawsuit on Thursday seeking damages from the central government, accusing it of "grossly inadequate" action on climate change and claiming that inaction has violated their rights to health, livelihood and a stable environment.
The mass compensation claim — reportedly involving about 450 plaintiffs — is the first in Japan to seek damages from the state itself over climate policy. Lead counsel Akihiro Shima told AFP the complaint and supporting evidence were formally submitted and accepted by the court.
Plaintiffs Describe Severe Local Impacts
Plaintiff Kiichi Akiyama, a 57-year-old construction worker, said extreme heat has slowed his crew so dramatically that projects now take roughly three times longer. "I can barely dig with a shovel for 10 minutes without sitting down to rest," he said, adding that workers sometimes collapse in the field or have died after returning home.
Another plaintiff, identified only as Saito, said record temperatures have limited her six-year-old son's ability to play outdoors: public pools are sometimes closed on heatstroke alerts and playground equipment becomes dangerously hot.
Legal Claims And International Context
The complaint — summarized in documents obtained by AFP — argues Japan's current climate measures are incompatible with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C and therefore "grossly inadequate." It highlights Japan's nationally determined contributions to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2035 and 73% by 2040 compared with 2013 levels, and notes these targets are not legally binding.
"This legislative omission is unmistakably unconstitutional," the suit summary states.
Legal scholar Masako Ichihara of Kyoto University, who has followed domestic climate litigation, said the case is bolder than prior suits because it directly targets state responsibility. Experts note similar constitutional and rights-based climate rulings in other countries — notably South Korea and Germany — where courts found government climate goals or plans insufficient.
Relief Sought And Purpose
The plaintiffs are seeking symbolic damages of 1,000 yen (about $6.50) per person. Shima said the figure is intended to emphasise the question of state responsibility rather than to secure large payouts, and that raising public awareness is a key objective of the action.
This year Japan experienced its hottest summer since national records began in 1898, and the suit links such heatwaves to economic losses, crop damage and elevated risks of heat-related illness and death.
The case will test how Japanese courts respond to rights-based climate litigation and whether they will compel the government to strengthen targets or implement binding measures consistent with scientific guidance from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Who’s Involved: Lead lawyer Akihiro Shima; plaintiff Kiichi Akiyama (construction worker); Kyoto University assistant professor Masako Ichihara (legal expert).
