Architectural Journal, November 2020

Architectural Journal, November 2020, p. 18
Special Feature: "Foreign Residents" - Issues Surrounding Foreign Residents in Japan That You Should Know More About
Based on the principle of mutual assistance, we offer consultations, suggestions, and courses.
Mayumi Yoshida

We offer "solution-oriented consultations."
We provide consultation services for various difficulties and problems that foreign residents face while living in Japan.
Rather than simply providing "traffic control type consultations" that refer you to places to seek advice,
We offer "solution-oriented consultations" that support you every step of the way, from consultation to resolution, across all fields.
Furthermore, we are also focusing our efforts on advocacy activities that convey the voices of foreign residents that emerge through these consultation services to the government and other relevant bodies.
In addition to these activities, we also hold study sessions and workshops to help foreign residents improve their lives in Japan.
We also hold lectures and symposiums to help Japanese residents learn more about foreign residents.

There are properties that refuse foreigners.
Even today, there are properties that refuse foreigners. Furthermore, there are many problems with neighbors.
Naturally, foreigners are unaware of the unwritten rules of Japanese society, and Japanese people do not express them verbally.
Neither side is able to compromise. I believe it is necessary for the Japanese to make an effort to "communicate."

The foreigners our organization supports live in the Kanto region and surrounding areas.
It seems that people often find properties in "residential areas" where many people from each country live.
For example, many Bangladeshi nationals living in Tokyo reside in Kita Ward.
We introduce each other to properties where we have already established a trusting relationship with the landlord.
Also, events organized by people from the same country are held at nearby facilities.
It's also easier to go to those kinds of social gatherings.

"The precarious position of non-regular employees"
Many foreigners lost their jobs. Foreigners often have difficulty becoming full-time employees (due to issues such as Japanese language proficiency).
Because many of them work under contract or part-time arrangements, they were among the first to be laid off due to the COVID-19 recession.
Finding a new job is not easy, and even if they wanted to return to their home country, flights are grounded due to the global spread of the infection.
There were many foreigners who looked completely lost and bewildered.
We don't usually notice it, but I feel that the precarious position of foreigners has come to light during emergencies like this.

"As a close neighbor"
Japan has already accepted many foreigners for various reasons.
Foreigners believe that Japanese society needs to develop economically.
Furthermore, they are not merely a workforce to cope with the aging population; they are all human beings with feelings and emotions.
I want to appeal to the government and administration to implement policies that consider the lives of the people who accept them.
Foreigners are also our close neighbors. Both Japanese ways of thinking and foreign ways of thinking that seem to deviate from them are important.
Each person has their own set of values. I believe that if we all come together as neighbors in our community, we can build a diverse society.