Metropolitan Area Construction Asbestos Lawsuit No.3 (Kanagawa) / Reiwa 2 (Wa) 1185

In 2020, a group of former construction workers, including ethnic Korean residents of Japan, filed suit in Yokohama District Court against the Japanese government and several building material manufacturers. They sought compensation for asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma contracted at job sites in Kanagawa Prefecture. The plaintiffs argued the state illegally failed to use its regulatory power to prevent exposure. On March 11, 2025, the court recognized the government's liability for regulatory inaction between 1975 and 2004, ordering it to pay approximately 400 million yen to 45 of the 74 plaintiffs. All claims against the material manufacturers were dismissed.

The Yokohama District Court ruled the state's failure to exercise regulatory authority was partially illegal, awarding about 400 million yen to 45 plaintiffs. All claims against the material manufacturers were rejected. Both sides have the right to appeal.

Whether the state's omission to regulate asbestos constituted an illegal act under the State Redress Act; whether the building material manufacturers owed compensation; and whether equal protections applied to foreign-national plaintiffs.

The ruling further cemented the state's duty of care for occupational health and safety, accelerating asbestos victim relief reforms. It also spotlighted the vulnerability of ethnic minority workers, triggering broader debate on labor protections for foreign-born laborers in Japan's construction industry.