Still a Negative Case? Japan's Changing Refugee Policy in the Face of New Geopolitical Challenges

Despite being a party to the Refugee Convention since 1981, Japan has historically admitted very few asylum seekers. However, recently the countrys' total protection rate has increased, from 2.3% in 2020 to 52% in 2022. This article explores this seemingly dramatic shift in Japans' refugee policy, tying the increased rate of asylum admissions to the countrys' broader foreign policy in the face of recent geopolitical challenges in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, while outlining the diverging pathways of admission utilized in each case.