Human Rights and Freedom in Japan

https://www.humantruth.info/japan_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#freedom #human_rights #japan #japan_freedom #politics

Japan [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	8th best
Location	Asia
Population	127.2m₁
Life Expectancy	84.78yrs (2017)₂

Japan performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Japan does the best in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating. It comes in the best 20 in terms of combatting modern slavery₃ and in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₄ (the best in Asia). It does better than average in terms of opposing gender inequality₅, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₆ (one of the best in Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₇ (amongst the lowest in Asia), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₈, freethought₉, LGBT equality₁₀ (one of the best in Asia) and in supporting press freedom₁₁. Japan allows extensive religious freedom and has one of the lowest rates of religious persecution worldwide₁₂. In 2017, it strengthened laws against sexual violence, further increasing protections for women's rights₁₃. But, things could still be better. Japan does worse than average in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₄. Japan is famed for being insular, and likewise its attitude towards asylum seekers is needlessly uncooperative - granting just 28 out of 10,901 applicants in 2016₁₃ and allowing substandard and abusive behaviour towards imported workers₁₃.

1. Japan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #japan #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₅
1	Japan	34.7
2	Taiwan	42.4
3	Cyprus	43.8
4	S. Korea	48.4
5	Israel	66.8
6	Hong Kong	68.6
7	Mongolia	71.8
8	Georgia	78.7
9	Northern Cyprus	79.1
10	Armenia	81.9
11	Philippines	86.1
12	Singapore	86.3
13	Thailand	92.6
	Asia Avg	103.00
q=52.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₅
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
21	Portugal	31.0
22	Italy	32.6
23	Uruguay	34.3
24	Japan	34.7
25	Estonia	35.0
26	USA	38.1
27	Malta	38.7
28	Czechia	41.7
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₆. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁₆.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₆, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₆.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 report on the state of the world's human rights, had little to say about Japan: "Long-standing discrimination against women, migrants, asylum seekers, ethnic Korean people and LGBTI people remained ongoing. Prolonged detention and inhumane treatment of foreign nationals in immigration detention facilities continued to be reported"₁₇.

Japan has an "active civil society"₁₃, with citizens and lobby groups able to access and influence government without undue political restrictions.

“Japan provides only weak legal protections for the approximately 230,000 foreigners– most of them from Vietnam and China–working in the country as part of the Technical Intern Training Program. Created in response to labor shortages for low-level jobs, the program is a main framework through which foreign migrant workers are permitted to work in Japan.
Abuses that program participants faced include payment of sub-minimum wages, illegal overtime, dangerous or unhygienic working conditions, restrictions on changing employers, forced return to their home countries, as well as requirements to pay unreasonably high fees to labor-sending agencies, andpenalty fees if the trainee does not successfully complete the training. Sexual abuses and rules that violate privacy (for example, prohibitions on owning a cell phone, or having romantic relationships) are also significant problems.
In November 2016, the Diet responded by passing the so-called Technical Training Act [which] introduced more criminal penalties against rights violations. However, key issues the reforms failed to address included restrictions related to changing employers and reliance on often exploitative labor-sending agencies.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₃

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2025₁₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
62	Brazil	63.80
63	Ivory Coast	63.69
64	Andorra	63.30
65	Japan	63.14
66	Malta	62.96
67	Hungary	62.82
68	Chile	62.25
69	Bulgaria	60.78
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Regarding supporting press freedom, Japan ranks 65th in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₈

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Averages by decade for Japan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Japan:	8.44	72.25
World Rank:	36th	⇣ 64th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₃
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
3=	Sweden	0.60
3=	Denmark	0.60
3=	Netherlands	0.60
7	Belgium	1.00
8=	Japan	1.10
8=	Ireland	1.10
10	Finland	1.40
11	Mauritius	1.50
12=	Australia	1.60
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Japan ranks 8th-best in the world regarding combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₉. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₀, Eritrea₂₀, Indonesia₂₁) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₀.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Japan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Japan:	0.30	1.10
World Rank:	1st	⇣ 8th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₇
Pos.		2014 Rank₇
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
29	Chile	29
30	Romania	30
31	France	31
32	Japan	32
33	Cyprus	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Spain	36
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Amongst the best in Asia Japan comes 32nd in the world regarding supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₂

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
20=	Marshall Islands	1.0
20=	Ireland	1.0
20=	Italy	1.0
20=	Japan	1.0
20=	Luxembourg	1.0
20=	Kiribati	1.0
20=	Estonia	1.0
20=	Austria	1.0
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Japan comes best in the world regarding its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Japan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Japan:	1.5	1.0	1.6	1.5	1.2
World Rank:	19th	⇡ 1st	⇣ 43rd	⇣ 53rd	⇡ 44th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₆
Pos.		2017 Score₆
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
27=	USA	4
27=	Croatia	4
27=	Poland	4
30=	Japan	3
30=	Australia	3
30=	Hungary	3
33=	Gambia	2
33=	Liechtenstein	2
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Amongst the best in Asia Japan ranks 30th in the world when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₁₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₁₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
111=	Mozambique	15
112=	Dominican Rep.	14
112=	Kenya	14
112=	Japan	14
112=	Jamaica	14
112=	Jordan	14
112=	China	14
112=	Mauritius	14
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

With regard to its nominal commitment to Human Rights, Japan ranks 112th in the world.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₃
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
73=	Burkina Faso	8.78
74	Belize	8.88
75	Yemen	8.88
76	Japan	9.16
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	9.17
78	India	9.18
79	Bangladesh	9.18
80	Sierra Leone	9.33
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

In terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties, Japan comes 76th in the world.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

#japan

Japan is notable for its equality between the sexes.

In 2017, Japan strengthened laws against sexual violence, further increasing protections for women's rights₁₃. Historically, Japan had a strongly patriarchal society, and this still shows through. Although Japan's average ranking across data sets is good, they were 120th out of 156 countries on the Global Gender Gap Report of 2021, and "in practice, women are still subject to a highly patriarchal society"₂₄.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #japan #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₅
Pos.		2022₅
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
19=	Canada	0.07
20	Germany	0.07
21	Portugal	0.08
22	Japan	0.08
23	France	0.08
24	New Zealand	0.09
25	Israel	0.09
26	Croatia	0.09
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Japan is positioned 22nd in the world in terms of opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

“Gay marriage is not legalized on a national level in Japan. Around 60 municipalities... have started accepting a form of civil partnerships for same-sex couples, which is not legally binding. In a landmark ruling in 2021, the Sapporo High Court declared the ban on same-sex marriage "unconstitutional", although the ruling was considered mostly a symbolic victory. In practice, gay and lesbian people still struggle to come out in Japan in daily life, with society still being relatively conservative on the topic, although younger people appear to support same-sex marriage.
There is no legislation that protects LGBTI+ individuals in Japan. A proposed bill calls to `promote understanding´ of LGBTI+ people, but has thus far fallen short of support in the government.
Transgender people are routinely subject to discrimination, and often struggle to fit into a society where gender norms are closely prescribed.”
"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₂₄

In the 1990s, Japan was amongst the 10 countries with the least amount of Gender Inequality, although it was overtaken by several others in the 2000s.

Averages by decade for Japan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Japan:	0.16	0.14	0.11
World Rank:	9th	⇣ 16th	⇣ 20th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₄
Pos.		2022 %₄
1	Sweden	31.8₂₅
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₆
3	Australia	37.0₂₆
	...
13	France	57.2₂₇
14	UK	57.7₂₇
15	Slovenia	61.1₂₅
16	Japan	63.4₂₆
17	Italy	64.4₂₇
18	Greece	64.9₂₆
19	Hungary	67.3₂₇
20	Argentina	74.3₂₆
	Asia Avg	94.24
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

The best in Asia Japan is positioned 16th-best in the world when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
53=	Italy	1945
53=	Senegal	1945
53=	Indonesia	1945
53=	Japan	1945
53=	Togo	1945
58=	N. Korea	1946
58=	Liberia	1946
58=	Romania	1946
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Japan ranks 51st in the world with regard to the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₈
Pos.		2014 %₈
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
28	Portugal	21
29=	Ivory Coast	22
29=	Estonia	22
31	Japan	23
32=	Trinidad & Tobago	24
32=	Argentina	24
32=	Mexico	24
35=	Haiti	26
	Asia Avg	48.2
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Japan comes 32nd in the world in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₈_,₂₉_,₃₀_,₃₁. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₂, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₃_,₃₄. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₅. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₆.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality Higher is better₁₀
Pos.		2017 Score₁₀
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
48=	San Marino	35
48=	Montenegro	35
48=	Guatemala	35
48=	Japan	35
48=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	35
48=	Georgia	35
48=	Nicaragua	35
48=	El Salvador	35
	Asia Avg	-02.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

One of the best in Asia Japan ranks 48th in the world in terms of LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₇. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws₃₈. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₃₇. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

"LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#buddhism #christianity #europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #japan #netherlands #religion #religion_in_japan #religious_tolerance #secularism #shinto #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₉
Pos.		2021₉
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
33=	Greece	2.3
33=	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.3
33=	Marshall Islands	2.3
33=	Japan	2.3
33=	Botswana	2.3
33=	Benin	2.3
33=	Cape Verde	2.3
33=	Kiribati	2.3
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Japan is positioned 33rd in the world in terms of freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₉. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₀. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₁ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₂. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₃. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₉_,₄₄ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₉_,₄₅.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₆. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₀, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₇ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₈ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

From the 1950s Japan reformed itself, granting extensive religious freedom to its citizens and attaining one of the lowest rates of violent religious persecution worldwide₁₂. Its Constitution grants "strong protections of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as a clear separation of religion and state"₂₄. See Articles 19, 20 and 89.

Before WW2, Japanese folk had almost no religious freedom; only three main classes of religious groups were accepted - 28 Buddhist groups, 13 Shinto ones and just 2 Christian communities were officially recognized₄₉. But since WW2, Japan reformed itself, and its rate of violence religious persecution dropped to one of the lowest rates in the world₅₀