By Uyghur Times Staff
July 1, 2025, 11:00 AM ET
A recent investigation by Japan Uyghur Association has revealed that 30 Japanese companies and 4 Chinese companies operating in Japan are linked to the use of Uyghur forced labor, sparking renewed calls for corporate accountability and action against state-led human rights abuses in China’s Uyghur homeland.
The investigation, conducted by human rights monitors, shows that 83% of the 34 companies reviewed are directly or indirectly complicit in China’s ongoing repression of the Uyghur people. The findings underscore widespread risk in Japanese supply chains and mark an urgent need for compliance with international human rights standards.
The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights—adopted in 2011—require corporations to respect human rights throughout their entire business operations, including supply and value chains. This includes conducting due diligence to identify and address any links to abuse, such as the forced labor system targeting Uyghurs in China.
China’s use of Uyghur forced labor is not an isolated abuse but part of a coordinated state policy involving mass internment, surveillance, coercion, and cultural erasure. Companies doing business in or with Chinese firms operating in the region risk complicity in these grave violations.
Facts and Figures
- 34 companies investigated: 30 Japanese and 4 Chinese companies operating in Japan.
- 19 companies (60%) are at high risk due to local operations or first- and second-tier supply chain links to forced labor.
- 9 companies (26%)—including Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, Kyocera, and Mitsubishi Motors—have ties to Chinese entities sanctioned under the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
Company Involvement Levels
- First-tier suppliers: Mitsubishi Motors, Panasonic Operational Excellence, Mitsubishi Electric, Sharp (now suspended), Marukyu (suspended), and others.
- Second-tier suppliers: Toyota, Honda, Uniqlo, and others.
- Third-tier and beyond: Sony, Toshiba, Canon, MUJI, and Kyocera.
Chinese firms JinkoSolar, BYD, Trina Solar, and JA Solar—operating in Japan—were also implicated.
Companies’ Responses: Apathy and Denial
Following the investigation, questionnaires were sent to all 34 companies. The responses indicate a broad lack of urgency or accountability:
- 13 companies failed to respond or only restated generic management policies—interpreted as a refusal to address the issue meaningfully.
- Only 3 companies—Sharp, Optex, and Marukyu—acknowledged business ties and confirmed they had suspended transactions.
- 12 companies, including Sony, Mitsubishi Electric, Canon, and MUJI, outright denied business ties, though documents from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission contradict Sony’s denial.
Japan’s Solar Projects Linked to Uyghur Forced Labor
The investigation also reveals that Japan’s mega solar projects heavily rely on Chinese manufacturers—Trina Solar, JA Solar, and JinkoSolar—tied to Uyghur forced labor. Policy changes pushing for cheaper panels have increased Japan’s dependence on these suppliers, whose cost advantage is linked to forced labor in the Uyghur region.
Despite bans on some products in the U.S., Japan continues large-scale imports with minimal oversight. The companies gave vague or no responses about their involvement. With public funds supporting these projects, Japan’s renewable energy expansion raises serious human rights concerns.
