Updated 12 Jun 2022. This page has sections on:
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.
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.
Center helps non-Japanese kids tackle the obstacles of getting into a Japanese high school An article about Multicultural Center Tokyo, which "concentrates on helping non-Japanese junior high school-age students and their parents prepare for the high school entrance exam, one of the Japanese school system’s most complicated processes."
NPO Multicultural Symbiotic Support Center This is an organization that provides information for foreign residents and helps foreign and Japanese residents meet and learn about each other.It seems to work mainly with foreign students.
Japan Intercultural Intelligence (JII) An organisation which aims to:
Provide information, consultation services and other support services for foreign residents
Organize events to promote cultural synergy
Provide career support and self-improvement services for foreign residents (students)
Provide recruitment, evaluation, training, and consultation services of foreign employees to corporations
The Association for Nakano International Communications (ANIC) works toward building a community where people from different countries can live together and aspires to further international exchange in Nakano City on an individual level.
Mitaka International Society for Hospitality (MISHOP) provides citizens with various programs to enhance their international awareness by encouraging them to participate in international exchange activities. MISHOP volunteers provide a wide range of support services for foreign residents in Japan to lead comfortable lives.
外国人技能実習生権利ネットワーク/ Advocacy Network for Foreign Trainees This is an organisation that provides legal advice and other support for interns and trainees and campaigns for improvements in the program. Mostly in Japanese and Chinese but has Q&A for foreign trainees and technical interns in English.
Zentoitsu Workers Union - Torii Ippei represents foreign trainees at this union
Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan -SMJ / 移住者と連帯する全国ネットワーク An organisation that supports foreign workers in Japan. President Torii Ippei has supported many trainees in legal cases.
The Migrant Worker Study Group / マイグラント研究会 A professional group consisting of lawyers, leading members in the labor union and researchers who are familiar with the problems of foreign workers. We study various problems of foreign workers and provide them with legal support.
Much of the support for the Kurdish community Kawaguchi and Warabi cities is provided by Japanese volunteer groups.
「日本クルド友好協会 Japan-Kurdistan Friendship Association」and information about 「日本語教室ボランティア」(Japanese class volunteering) 2015.
一般社団法人日本クルド文化協会 Japan Kurdish Cultural Association Facebook page. Also on Twitter.
川口のクルド人日本語教室 ボランティア頼み This is the first part of an article about the Japanese language and study support group for Kurdish families in Kawaguchi and Warabi. You have to pay to read the whole article. Mainichi Shimbun, 12 Jun 2017.
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 in Kawaguchi Shi and how it has responded to the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo Shimbun, 30 May 2020.
Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute / 一般社団法人部落開放・人権研究所 For the eliminating of all forms of discrimination, the BLHRRI conducts research and investigation about Buraku and publishes results of research works.
Buraku Liberation League / 部落解放同盟
The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) This organisation is an international NGO founded by Buraku people and works for the elimination of discrimination and racism.
BURAKU HERITAGE は、「部落」に関わる様々な立場のメンバーが、部落「問題」に限らず、人、文化、仕事、など部落に関係する様々な物事の情報発信を目的として運営しているウェブサイトです。
Human Rights Association for Korean Residents in Japan (HURAK)
Zainichi Kankoku Seinen Doumei (Korean Youth Alliance in Japan) See also here.
駐日韓国大使館 / Korean Culture Center in Tokyo
Roberts, G. S. (2003). 'NGO support for migrant labour in Japan, in M. Douglass & G. S. Roberts (Eds). Japan and global migration: foreign workers and the advent of a multicultural society. London; New York: Routledge. Available from Chuo Library総合政策 325.252/J35 & Mike.
Migrant Support Organizations in Japan – A Survey by Gabriele Vogt & Philipp Lersch In this paper we pose two main research questions: How successful are MSO in Japan when it comes to actually improving the living and working conditions of foreigners? And how successful are MSO in Japan when it comes to political advocacy for foreigners? German Institute for Japanese Studies, 2007.
Illegal democrats: immigrant rights ngos in Japan by Apichai W. Shipper. This academic article looks at NGOs that support undocumented or 'illegal' foreign residents in Japan "Since 1983, immigrant rights activists have established approximately 200 immigrant rights NGOs to assist illegal foreigners, fighting for protection of their basic rights and provision of welfare services. Foreigner support groups formed by Japanese citizens provide a range of medical and legal services and work to increase public awareness of the conditions faced by overstayed foreigners. In some cases these associations play an active role in forcing local governments to be more responsive to the exploitation of unskilled foreign workers and more flexible in their treatment of them." No date - around 1995/2000?
NPO Recovery Support for Foreign Residents after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake: A Case Study of the Takatori Community Center in Kobe by Yoko Matsuda and Teruyuki Kume, Japan Social Innovation Journal, 2012. Downloads as a pdf file.