About Us
Organization profile
Name | ASIAN PEOPLE’S FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY(A.P.F.S.) |
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Founded | December 27th, 1987 |
Address | 56-6-301 Oyama Higashi-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0014 |
Contact | TEL:03-3964-8739 FAX:03-3579-0197 E-mail:apfs-1987@nifty.com |
Representative | Mayumi Yoshida |
Activities | 1. Consultation for foreign residents 2. Advocacy and survey/research activities for the protection of foreign residents’ fundamental human rights 3. Organization of cultural exchange events 4. Organization of meetings, courses etc. |
Number of cooperation members | 3,886 (as of July, 2018) |
Foundation background
After the middle 1980s, many people from Southeast and South Asian countries with study or working purposes started to visit Japan. It was then, when a Japanese man met a few Bangladeshis in a public bath and while socializing with them learned about their struggles of living and discrimination. From that experience, aiming for “a life in mutual support”, in 1987 they founded the ASIAN PEOPLE’S FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY (A.P.F.S.) as a mutual aid organization.
The corporate status (NPO) was acquired on July 14, 2010.
Instead of Japanese helping “poor foreigners” one-sidedly, we have been working to realize a society of mutual help. Up until now, more than 3,400 people from 13 countries joined us as cooperation members. Moreover, members from five countries including Bangladesh, the Philippines, Iran, Burma and Japan became executives and are dynamically engaged in our activities.
Main activities
1.Consultation for foreign residents
We offer consultation for foreign residents associated with 1) visa (residential status) and 2) living (education, healthcare, taxation, traffic accidents and other troubles). We have some 1,000 cases annually. We not just provide information, but also aim for the solution of the actual problem together with the person in need in a form of “solution type consultation”.
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2.Advocacy and survey/research
(1)Advocacy
We regularly advocate for the protection of foreign residents’ fundamental human rights towards public agencies, politicians etc.
(2)Survey/research
We conduct surveys and research regarding problems faced by undocumented foreign residents, living conditions of foreigners in Itabashi Ward of Tokyo and the situation of overseas foreigner supporting organizations. Our findings can be found in our publications.
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Furthermore, to communicate the findings of these surveys/research, we hold ‘symposiums’ on a regular basis.
(Recent symposiums)
“Right of Migrant Workers and Their Families to Live in Japan”, 2008
Keynote by Mr. Izumi Yamada (Professor, Hosei University)
“Japanese Immigration Policy and Migrant Workers Today”, 2007
Keynote by Mr. Yasushi Iguchi (Professor, Kwansei Gakuin University)
3.Organization of cultural exchange events
We open the “Asia Fair, as You Never Seen Before” every October, to introduce food and culture from Asian countries to the local communities.
CLICK for content outline in 2009
To promote exchange between local residents and our members, we also have had other events such as the “Concert to Support Children with Foreign Roots”, the “Asian Cooking Class”, the “A.P.F.S. Bus Tour” and the “A.P.F.S. Xmas Party“.