A Saitama Prefectural Assembly member, Masahide Moroi, has ignited controversy after stating in a general assembly session on October 1 that “foreigners do not have fundamental human rights.” The 56-year-old independent representative’s remark drew swift criticism from various party factions, who branded the statement as “highly inappropriate” and “lacking in judgment.”
The Statement and the Governor’s Response
The comment was made during an interpellation period where Moroi questioned Governor Motohiro Ono about public safety, citing examples of crimes involving foreign nationals. Moroi asserted that “legally speaking, [foreigners] are in a different position from Japanese nationals. Foreigners do not have fundamental human rights.”
Governor Ono immediately responded, “I do not hold the view that foreigners have no fundamental human rights.” He emphasized the prefecture’s commitment to public safety for everyone, “regardless of nationality or ethnicity.”
Backlash and Explanation
Moroi’s remarks drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Takumi Tamura, head of the Liberal Democratic Party’s prefectural assembly group, harshly criticized the comment, saying it showed a profound “lack of judgment as a prefectural assembly member.”
Meanwhile, Noriko Shiroshita, head of the Communist Party Prefectural Assembly group, pointed out a significant contradiction: Moroi had voted in favor of the Saitama Children and Youth Basic Ordinance last year, which is founded on the principle of guaranteeing fundamental human rights “without distinction of race or nationality.”
When questioned by the Asahi Shimbun, Moroi attempted to clarify his statement. He stated that “while foreigners have fundamental rights as human beings, they do not enjoy the same rights as Japanese citizens.”
He added that his comment was “incomplete” due to a lack of time during the assembly session. Moroi is now reportedly considering requesting the deletion of the controversial remark from the official assembly record.
Rising Anti-Immigration Sentiment in Japan
The incident has added further fuel to the debate over the legal status and treatment of foreign residents in Japan, coming amid a notable rise in xenophobic rhetoric and “Japanese First” political messaging — particularly from far-right groups, such as Sanseito, who have recently gained traction.
Moroi’s controversial remark also reignited discourse over the deep structural exclusion faced by foreigners in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, home to one of Japan’s largest Kurdish communities.
While many of the city’s estimated 2,000 Kurdish residents fled persecution, Japan’s refusal to recognize them as refugees leaves many in legal limbo under provisional release, unable to work or access basic services. Experts argue this prolonged uncertainty, rather than the community itself, is the true source of social unease, highlighting the country’s long resistance to immigration.
