Akihiro Shima, 63, a former punk musician turned lawyer, filed a nationwide climate lawsuit representing over 450 plaintiffs who say Japan's response to climate change is "grossly inadequate" and violates constitutional rights. The case targets Tokyo's emissions goals and aims to spark debate about the society people want in 30 years. Legal experts say a courtroom victory is unlikely, but the suit could shift public awareness and political pressure. Shima's activism stretches from punk protests to creative lawsuits after Fukushima.
Punk-Rock Lawyer Akihiro Shima Leads Landmark Climate Lawsuit, Rallying 450+ Plaintiffs
Lawyer Akihiro Shima, who spearheads a landmark climate change lawsuit in Japan, singing at a bar in Tokyo's Ginza district (Tomohiro OSAKI)(Tomohiro OSAKI/AFP/AFP)
Akihiro Shima — a 63-year-old former punk musician turned lawyer known for his mohawk and bright-red jacket — performed at a packed Tokyo bar just nine days after filing a major nationwide climate lawsuit.
From Stage to Courtroom
Shima organised more than 450 plaintiffs across Japan in a case seeking damages from the central government, accusing it of a "grossly inadequate" response to the climate emergency. Plaintiffs argue the government's inaction infringes constitutional rights to health and a peaceful life and say Tokyo's emissions targets lack sufficient ambition.
"This lawsuit is the culmination of everything I have worked toward," Shima told the crowd — a phrase that links decades of activism, music and legal action.
What He Told Supporters
During a December set at a small, dimly lit Tokyo venue, Shima interspersed songs with political lines, chanting slogans such as "Free Palestine!" and "Dance in the street for your rights" while promoting the lawsuit. He warned that people living modestly are already seeing low-lying islands threatened and that "our future generations will be the biggest victim."
Legal Context and Stakes
Japan has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2035 and 73% by 2040 compared with 2013 levels, aiming for net-zero by mid-century. Legal experts say Shima's case faces long odds in court, but observers note it could be influential in raising public awareness and shaping debate on climate policy.
A Life of Activism
Shima's activism began in his teens after reading the novel "Compound Pollution," a critique of industrial waste and agricultural chemicals. He became known as a household "radical," urging lifestyle changes in his family and campaigning on poverty and discrimination. As a musician he embraced punk's anti-establishment ethos — once posing nude for a CD cover in front of Japan's parliament as political protest.
At 41, he returned to study and qualified as a lawyer in 2010. His early legal work included a creative suit that named a polar bear as a plaintiff to argue global warming constitutes pollution, and litigation after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster targeting major reactor suppliers. He also formed the band "Shima Kick Jiro & No Nukes Rights."
Looking Ahead
Shima acknowledges this may be his last major lawsuit given his age, but he hopes it will prompt a national conversation about the kind of society people want 30 years from now. Despite his deep environmental commitment, he admits he has not yet written songs expressly about climate change: "I haven't been able to find a way to make words like 'climate' sound cool," he said with a smile. "I will try."
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