A lawsuit against the police for alleged racial profiling is filed by a group of Japanese citizens.

On Monday, a group of Japanese citizens, including a man of Pakistani descent, filed a civil lawsuit against the country's police, alleging racial profiling and discrimination and demanding an end to the practice.

Nearly 3 million non-Japanese reside in Japan, and a case concerning this matter will be heard in Tokyo District Court.

Syed Zain, a 26-year-old Japanese citizen of Pakistani descent, claims he has been frequently stopped by police and searched in front of his home despite living in Japan for two decades, attending Japanese schools, and being fluent in the language.

"From the outset, the police viewed us as suspects," he stated.

The three plaintiffs are seeking 3 million yen ($20,000) in punitive damages for "unconstitutional and illegal" treatment, as well as 300,000 yen ($2,000) in attorney fees each.

Their claim asserts that racial profiling is simply discrimination based on race, nationality, and color.

The authorities have not yet responded to the complaint, which implicates the government, national, Tokyo, and Aichi prefectural police departments.

The defendants argue that being stopped by police without cause does not violate the Japanese constitution, which guarantees equal treatment under the law and prohibits discrimination based on race. They also contend that this practice is consistent with international treaties to which Japan is a signatory.

One of the lawyers representing the three stated that it is challenging for foreigners or Japanese individuals of non-Japanese descent to sue the government due to their concerns about being targeted by law enforcement.

Hearings in the case are expected to last about a year.

Recently, there has been a push to increase diversity in Japan, as businesses are increasingly hiring women executives and global companies are seeing more non-Japanese representation, according to Daisuke Uchida, a professor of business at Keio University.

He remarked that the small initial action was merely the first step.