Japanese Language Institution Deregistration Suspension Appeal Case

In early 2026, Japan's Immigration Services Agency revoked the accredited status of the Tokyo Korean-Japanese Cultural Academy, a Japanese language school run by a Zainichi Korean organization, citing the use of teaching materials that presented a "biased view of history" and violated the neutrality required of accredited Japanese language institutions. The academy immediately filed for an injunction to suspend the deregistration and later appealed a lower court ruling that upheld the ministry's decision. The appellant argued that the revocation was arbitrary and discriminatory, targeting the school based on the ethnic background of its operators and students, thereby infringing upon constitutional guarantees of equality, academic freedom, and the right to education. The case escalated into a high-profile appellate battle at the Tokyo High Court, drawing attention from civil rights groups and the South Korean government.

The Tokyo High Court dismissed the appeal in late 2026, upholding the deregistration. The court ruled that the ministry had not exceeded its discretionary power, but it acknowledged the lack of clear, objective criteria for assessing educational content neutrality, effectively leaving the academy closed.

Whether the revocation of the Japanese language institution’s accreditation constituted an abuse of administrative discretion and unlawful discrimination on the basis of nationality or ethnic origin, violating constitutional principles of equality and academic freedom; and whether the government's vaguely defined "educational neutrality" standard was applied in a discriminatory manner against a Korean-run school.

The ruling intensified anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea and triggered protests by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) and civic groups. It strained bilateral cultural and diplomatic exchanges at a sensitive time, prompting South Korea’s foreign ministry to express official regret. The case also ignited domestic debate over administrative transparency and the potential for ethnic profiling in Japan’s regulation of language schools, fueling calls for legislative reform to clarify standards for revocation.