This page includes:
Foreign children slipping through the cracks of Japan's education system This article looks at the situation of Maria and other children who are attending a nursery school in Hamamatsu City even though they are 6 years old or over. An NHK survey found that out of 120,000 foreign children between the ages of 6 and 14 living in Japan about 8,400 are believed to have not attended school. NHK World. 17 Apr 2019.
Japan's trial run for migrant workers This article looks at Japanese-Brazilian Nikkeijin in Hamamatsu and tells the story of Flavia who went to a top university in Tokyo even though she was told by her teacher when she was 10 that she had no future in Japan. BBC News, 2007.
Many foreign children in Japan enrolled in special-needs classes for 'language' reasons An article about why there is a high number of children with foreign roots in special-needs classes , including the story of Nayara Natsumi Kinjo, a Japanese-Brazilian person whose teacher at elementary school wrongly told her she might have a disability. Mainichi, 12 Apr 2022.
'Prison camps for Brazilians': Foreign kids in Japan being ushered into special education Many foreign children in Japan are being placed in special education against their wishes amid a lack of consensus building with schools and doctors as they have trouble understanding Japanese. The article looks at the stories of several Japanese Brazilian people who were placed in special education classes Mainichi, 2019.
Nepali girl's hard road getting into Japan junior high in area lacking language support Rabina Dangol was born in Nepal's capital Kathmandu and raised there by her grandparents until, at age 13 and with no Japanese skills, she was brought to the western Tokyo city of Akishima to live with her 41-year-old mother Shanti. Her story is one example of the difficulties faced by foreign children unable to speak Japanese as they try to lay the foundations of their life in a new country. Mainichi, 2019.
Japan failing to support young Brazilians Stories of young Brazilians in Izumo City, Shimano. NHK World, 29 Feb 2020.
Tokyo court upholds deportation order for Thai teenager born and raised in Japan "A Thai teenager born and raised in Japan lost an appeal on Tuesday against a lower court ruling that upheld his deportation order, highlighting the country’s deep reluctance to accept non-Japanese people, even as its population ages and shrinks. The Tokyo High Court ruled that Utinan Won, a 16-year-old high school student living without a visa, should leave Japan. Won’s mother had already left Japan after lower court judges said her son could win residency if she returned to Thailand." Japan Times, Dec 6, 2016. See also the link below.
Japan-born son, Thai mom split by heartbreak legal deal This article looks at the case of a Thai woman who had been in japan more than 20 years, and was living on provisional release, who agreed to return to Thailand in order for her 16 year old son, who was born and grew up in japan, to stay in Japan. The article also looks at the situation of other similar families with members living on provisional release. Japan Times, Nov 24, 2016. See also the story above for later news on this case.
Born "Illegal" in Japan This article tells the stories of two families in which children have been born to parents who are in Japan 'illegally' without the correct visa. One story is about a refugee family whose mother is put into immigration detention for two years before let out on provisional release. It explains the impact of this separation on her children and the family. NHK World, 20 Jan 2021
Japan is young Kurd's only home, despite challenges of 'illegal resident' status This article tells the story of Ramazan, a young Kurdish man who came to Japan with his family of asylum seekers when he was 9. He talks about the difficulties he faced as a child growing up in this situation and now as an adult who is on provisional release, and doesn't have legal residence status and so cannot work. Mainichi Shimbun, 6 Jul 2021.
Coming to grips with a multicultural Japan Bullying in Japan seems to have taken a new twist -- the targeting of Japanese children of culturally mixed parentage. This article looks at the discrimination that children of mixed ethnicity or 'hafu' face in and explains the story of Lawrence Shimotaka Shimoji who started the website, Hafu Talk. NHK World, 14 June 2019.
Japan forces a harsh choice on children of migrant families This article focuses on the story of a 17 year old Sikh person, Gursewak Singh, born in Japan after his family fled from India. They have been refused refugee status 4 times and have been living on provisional release since 2001, unable to work or get health insurance. His parents have been told that if the return to India their children can stay in Japan, splitting the family, and might be able to get residency. Reuters, 22 Nov 2016.
Editorial: Japan's education system is failing kids with foreign roots There are many children in Japan with foreign roots who, because they don't speak Japanese well, cannot take regular classes at school. Mainichi, 19 Apr, 2022.
The Making of an Underclass: Japan’s Neglect of Immigrant Education Japan is neglecting the basic welfare of its foreign school-age children as a consequence of policies that fail to provide proper needed support to non-Japanese residents, thus denying their children an appropriate quality education, writes Kojima Yoshimi of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. nippon.com, 2022. Japanese version here: 日本に暮らす外国籍の子どもたちに就学支援を：平等に教育を受けられる体制づくりが急務
Foreign kids in Japan relying on volunteers for language support Local Japanese language classes are playing an important role for many foreign children in Japan, and it is hoped that that they can help make up for a lack of dedicated language instruction at regular schools. Yet these classes are operated by volunteers, so students' study time is limited, and there remain many outstanding issues, such as the lack of a framework to systematically teach Japanese. Mainichi, 2019.
Shrinking Japan: Lack of Japanese language education hobbling integration of foreign kids This article looks at difficulties foreign children face with being accepted for schools and universities in Japan because of lack of Japanese language support and at the work of the Tabunka Free School, run by nonprofit organization Multicultural Center Tokyo, which helps such students complete their high school education. Mainichi, 2018. Japanese version.
Foreign-born children in Japan struggle to enter universities This article looks at the challenges with taking university entrance exams for foreign students living in Japan who can't use the special entrance exams for foreign students living outside of japan. Nikkei Asia, 2022. You may need to use a VPN to read this article.
Foreign middle-schoolers getting Japanese help still at high school disadvantage: survey This article looks at problems for students with foreign roots, including lack of progress with learning Japanese. Mainichi, 4 May 2021.
Children with foreign roots a growing social issue in Japan "Nearly 4 percent of children living in group homes for youngsters across Japan have at least one parent with foreign roots, forcing staff members to confront issues they were not initially trained to handle". Asahi Shimbun, 18 Apr 2021.
Bullying of Kurdish students at Kawaguchi schools a growing problem "Incidents of bullying against Kurdish pupils living in this town, home to the largest population of Kurds in Japan, have intensified to the point that some students are staying home to avoid classmates." Mainichi Shimbun, 23 Apr 2019.
Japan to boost education support for non-native children: Easier-to-read entrance tests among proposals for more inclusive schools This article reports on a range of measures including help for parents with enroling children in kindergarten and elementary school and more teachers who speak the languages of foreign children for schools. Nikkei Asia, 18 Jun 2019.
Evening schools catering to foreign residents on the rise This report focuses on a evening junior high school in Kawaguchi as an example of the role that these school play in educating foreign residents in Japan. NHK World Japan, 22 Apr 2019.
Seeking a Better Society for Children of Multicultural Backgrounds An issue of of Takarabako, that looks "at the ways in which efforts are being made by schools, citizens, and government to resolve the problems facing children of multicultural backgrounds", in Okubo (Shinjuku, Tokyo), Nagata Ward, Osaka, and Ota City, Gunma.
The Education of Foreign Children in Japan by Yukari Himeno. The aim of this paper is to describe how Japan’s education system treats children from other countries, especially in regard to junior high schools and the high school entrance examinations. I use statistical data from documents of the Japanese government, published material explaining the state of “newcomer children,” and interviews with teachers of junior high schools and high schools in Kanagawa prefecture. David Ewick's homepage, Chuo University Faculty of Policy Studies, 2004.
“Mother tongue 1, 2, 3!” (多文化な子どもの学びー母語の育む活動から)Website of Kansai Research Group for Mother Tongue Education: "We created this website to provide information on the importance of mother tongue, or heritage, languages for children who are connected to foreign countries, and to provide specific information on assisting children to use these languages."
FEATURE: Mixed-race Okinawans begin to find voice amid tensions over U.S. bases This article tells the stories of several people born in Okinawa who have one Japanese and one American parent, and reports on the AmerAsian School in Ginowan, Okinawa created specially for such mixed race children. Kyodo News, 2022.
Identities divided (Pt. 1): Amerasians recall discrimination, pain growing up in Okinawa Stories of people with one Japanese and one American parent growing up in Okinawa. Mainichi Shimbun, 2022.
Identities divided (Pt. 3): Amerasian school in Okinawa encourages kids to embrace roots The story of this school created to support children with mixed Japanese and American roots in Okinawa and of some of the children who attend it. Mainichi Shimbun, 2022.
A Hard Life for Amerasian Children New York Times, 23 July 2000.
AmerAsian School marks 15th anniversary Okinawa’s only school offering an English and Japanese education for AmerAsian children is celebrating its 15th year of service to the community this year. Japan Update, 17 Nov 2013.
Bullying of Kurdish students at Kawaguchi schools a growing problem "Incidents of bullying against Kurdish pupils living in this town, home to the largest population of Kurds in Japan, have intensified to the point that some students are staying home to avoid classmates." Mainichi Shimbun, 23 Apr 2019.
Lonely Swallows This is the website for a documentary movie on the left (in Japanese) that follows the struggles of Japanese-Brazilian children living in Hamamatsu.... There are hundreds of thousands of young Japanese-Brazilians who came to Japan when they were very young with their immigrant parents. Many of them drop out after junior high school, and start working at factories. Due to economic recession, many of their families lose their jobs, forcing to return to Brazil.
Forgotten In Japão: Education in the Brazilian Dekasegi Community A film by Sam Holden about the Brazilian-Japanese community in Toyota City, including the problems faced in school by Brazilian-Japanese children. 25 Dec 2009.
TOMO2 Hamamatsu Foreign Children's Educational Support Organisation is an NPO which sends teachers of Japanese to schools in Hamamatsu to help foreign children.
Support Information for Foreign Children by Hamamatsu NPO Network Center (N-Pocket) "We made this website for foreign children be able to receive appropriate education and live in harmony in Japan. On these pages, we provide information about the difference of education system between Japan and foreign countries, senior high schools and organization which works to support the immigrants." Includes information on Japanese language classes.
「日本語も母語も中途半端」そんな子どもたちのために。大泉の「ブラジル人学校」23年間の軌跡 from 難民支援協会, 9 May, 2019.
*Kalakasan Migrant Women Empowerment Centre in Kawasaki is an organisation started by Filipino women in Japan to help other migrant women, especially Filipino women, and which provides educational support for their children.
Multicultural Coexistence in Japan--Japanese Filipino Students and Overcoming Their Difficulties by Sena Nukata, Department of Sociology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, 2015. This academic article looks at the history and situation of Japanese-Filipino families and, through a case study of a school in Kyoto, the difficulties faced by Japanese-Filipino children in terms of family life (especially for single mother families), language issues, questions of identity and and the Japanese school system.
Citizen’s Network for Japanese Filipino Children We are a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Tokyo. We support Japanese-Filipino Children (JFC) who are born to Filipino mothers and Japanese fathers.
Most Jap-Fils prefer dad's 'love' over citizenship Most Japanese-Filipino children (JFC) would rather meet their fathers in person and be recognized as their children than be granted Japanese citizenship. This article also gives some background on Filipino women who went to work in Japan, mainly in the 'entertainment industry' and on the identity crisis faced by Japanese-Filipino children. GMANews.TV, 08/21/2008.
Traffickers target Filipino-Japanese kids This articles looks at how brokers (or traffickers) target Filipino women who have had children with Japanese men want to get Japanese nationality for their children. "This has given rise to an increasing number of brokers seeking to profit from women seeking a better life for their children. For many it turns into nothing more than a nightmare." Nikkei Asian Review, November 02, 2016.
Educational Challenges of a Japanese-Filipino Child in a Japanese Classroom A short academic article that looks at the experiences of a Japanese-Filipino elementary school student to understand the challenges facing bicultural children in Japan, especially in terms of language, classroom discipline and parent-school relationships. Click on the blue button int he top right to download the pdf file. By Melvin Jabar, DE LA Salle University, July 2011.
Most Jap-Fils prefer dad's 'love' over citizenship Most Japanese-Filipino children (JFC) would rather meet their fathers in person and be recognized as their children than be granted Japanese citizenship. This article also gives some background on Filipino women who went to work in Japan, mainly in the 'entertainment industry' and on the identity crisis faced by Japanese-Filipino children. GMANews.TV, 08/21/2008.
>>> More on 'hafu'/'dabaru'/bicultural children >>>
Stand by Me / すたんどばいみー is a 'toujisha' group supporting children with foreign roots (both with mother tongue language education and support for their Japanese education) in Icho Danchi (Yokohama and Yamoto cities). See also this older webpage: Stand By Me Part of Ed.Venture 教育支援グループ
多文化まちづくり工房 is an organisation based at Icho Danchi in Yokohama/Yamato cities which provides Japanese language classes for children there with foreign roots, taught by volunteers including university students.
Citizens Network for Japanese Filipino Children (Nishi Shinjuku) "We are a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Tokyo. We support Japanese-Filipino Children (JFC) who are born to Filipino mothers and Japanese fathers." Provides legal support for finding Japanese fathers and confirming nationality, plus livelihood and education support.
Support 21 / さぽうと21 is an volunteer organisation based in Meguro, Tokyo, that provides counselling about living in Japan, scholarships for education, and Japanese lessons for refugees, nikkeijin (descendants of Japanese) and returnees, including those from China, living in Japan. It has developed out of the Association for Aid and Relief which was started in 1979 to help refugees to Japan from Indochina and which has now become an international aid organisation.
Asian People's Friendship Society (Itabashi ku) Support with health, legal and other issues for mainly undocumented foreign workers and their children
Multicultural Center Tokyo (in English) / 多文化共生センター東京（日本語）”Multicultural Center Tokyo organizes and implements programs for people with multicultural backgrounds, mainly designed for children and women”, in three areas: education, child-rearing and multicultural understanding. It runs a 'Multicultural Free School' to "support children from other countries who wish to go to Japanese high school with Japanese language study".
The Multilingual Education Institute (Ijime Zero) This organization is a national multilingual network to help multicultural and multilingual children and their families who area suffering from burying in schools in Japan. See also this article, An NGO reaches out to bullied foreign kids, about Ijime Zero and the education of foreign children in Japan. Japan Times, Nov. 28, 2008.
Project on the Elaboration of Educational Materials for Foreign Children from Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
The Multicultural Community Learning Support Center also at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies contributes to the education of our university's students through encouraging and supporting them to engage in learning-assistance volunteer activities for children from foreign countries, as well as, through promoting human resource development to meet the demands of contemporary multilingual/multicultural society.
TOMO2 Hamamatsu Foreign Children's Educational Support Organisation is an NPO which sends teachers of Japanese to schools in Hamamatsu to help foreign children.
Education Support Information for Foreign Children by Hamamatsu NPO Network Center (N-Pocket) "We made this website for foreign children be able to receive appropriate education and live in harmony in Japan. On these pages, we provide information about the difference of education system between Japan and foreign countries, senior high schools and organization which works to support the immigrants." Includes information on Japanese language classes.
World Kids Community 多文化な子どもたちと育ち、在日外国人コミュニティと協働するワールドキッズコミュニティのサイトです.
新型コロナ＞異国の学び場 待ち焦がれ 川口で日本語教室が再開 An article about the Japanese language support group for Kurdish people that supports young people with their studies in Kawaguchi Shi and how it has responded to the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo Shimbun, 30 May 2020.
域と生きる ～みんなが共に生きる社会とは？～ The ボランティア活動 section of this page has information about the support group for Kurdish people in Kawaguchi and includes an interview with Komuro san, who runs the group. NHK 高校講座。
Ushioda Junior High School A Japanese public school in Yokohama in which many students with multicultural background study.
AmerAsian school in Okinawa A school for children of mixed Japanese-US parentage in Okinawa.
Shimofukuda Junior High School A school that has students who are Indo-Chinese, Nikkeijin and returnees from China, which has set up a special International Elective (kokusai sentaku) course for these students.
Multicultural Coexistence in Japan--Japanese Filipino Students and Overcoming Their Difficulties by Sena Nukata, Department of Sociology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, 2015. The paper discusses the problems faced by Japanese Filipino children and how the educational system supports them including in terms of Japanese language support.
Educational Challenges of a Japanese-Filipino Child in a Japanese Classroom A short academic article that looks at the experiences of a Japanese-Filipino elementary school student to understand the challenges facing bicultural children in Japan, especially in terms of language, classroom discipline and parent-school relationships. Click on the blue button int he top right to download the pdf file. By Melvin Jabar, DE LA Salle University, July 2011.