Climate Justice Case: A Case as Accessible and Familiar Litigation for Citizens

On December 2025, 452 plaintiffs filed a tort case, suing Japanese government for damages incurred due to its inadequate climate change measures. According to the complaint, they seek 1,000 yen in compensation per person as a part of damages suffered by each plaintiff.

Prior to this case, Japan has observed five climate cases in Japan, four of which sought to halt the construction or operation of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) one sought emission reduction from thermal power plants. This case is the first case to claim state’s tort liability, incorporating several novel elements not seen in the previous five cases.

This paper introduced this most recent climate case as of writing, by outlining the background of climate litigation in Japan, the circumstances leading to this lawsuit’s filing, and the content detailed in the complaint. It then compared this case with previous climate lawsuits, to find its novelty in priority in invoking social movement toward climate action to judicial victory, as well as general citizens’ accessibility toward the case. It then identified its potential in accelerating climate movement, and challenges in maintaining unity of plaintiffs’ group. This case, which differs from the previous five cases in various respects and includes a second filing scheduled for February this year, has the potential to bring significant changes to the development of climate litigation in Japan, drawing continued attention.