yoshidamayuko 
We were featured in an article introducing our activities on the front page of the evening edition of the Tokyo Shimbun.
We call each other by name.
Think of it as your own thing.
Support Shelter in Kamakura Gives a Boost to Japan’s Refugee Policy
September 18, 2021 (Saturday) Tokyo Shimbun evening edition, front page
The online article can be found here.
The opening of Japan’s largest shelter for foreigners applying for refugee status, the Alpe-Nanmin Center, in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, has led to increased interaction between the foreigners living there and local residents. The director of the shelter says, “When people call each other by name, they begin to think of refugee issues as their own business. We would like to convey from Kamakura the absurdity of Japan’s refugee policy. (Maki Ishihara)
At a multigenerational exchange event in July, a Sri Lankan man, when asked what his favorite food was, replied in fluent Japanese, “If it’s Sri Lankan food, it’s curry, and if it’s Japanese food, it’s gyoza.”
He came to Japan in 2016, fearing for his life due to political strife, but was repeatedly detained in immigration detention facilities because he was not recognized as a refugee. After coming to the shelter in June, “I finally relaxed,” he says.
◆Providing food, clothing, shelter, and a place to learn Japanese to those who are applying for refugee status
Three people from the shelter participated in the event. A Ugandan man said, “There are many delicious foods in Uganda, but the best is banana.”
The participants showed the location of their home country on a world map and enjoyed a performance by a local music group together, deepening their friendship.
The shelter was built last April. It is a Jesuit facility in the mountains, rented free of charge. It has about 30 private rooms and currently houses 10 people from Asia and Africa. The shelter is operated by the Arrupe Refugee Center, a non-profit organization established by people involved in refugee support groups. The center provides food, clothing, shelter, and a place to learn Japanese to those who have been provisionally released but are unable to work while applying for refugee status. Kenji Arikawa, 59, secretary-general of Arrupe, regrets that “the public does not have a high level of interest in refugee issues.” Japan’s refugee status is extremely low, and human rights abuses by the Immigration Bureau have become an issue, such as the death in March of Wishma Sandamari, then 33, a Sri Lankan national detained at the Nagoya Immigration and Resident Management Bureau.
According to Mr. Arikawa, what is needed to change such a situation is to create a relationship in which people can call each other by their first names. “If people wonder why “〇〇-san” is not granted refugee status, they will realize that Japan’s refugee policy is wrong.”
◆Local exchange little by little…and sending out messages to the whole country
Some of the children in the shelter attend the same kindergarten as their own children, or are treated to dishes from their home countries as a thank-you for teaching them Japanese. After seeing each other many times, local people can become more familiar with the refugee issue. Those who are in the process of applying for refugee status can gain a foothold to live in Japan after their status is approved.
Despite the COVID19 pandemic, local children sometimes come to visit and work together in the fields on the premises. Local organizations are donating food, and exchanges are gradually beginning to take root.
In July, the city council passed an opinion piece calling for the government to review its refugee policy, including refugee recognition and institutionalization. Mr. Arikawa hopes that the community he fostered in Kamakura will spread throughout Japan.
Kamakura City Council, “Kamakura City Council Urges the State to Review Refugee Policy” (July 2, 2021)
Refugee Shelter in Kamakura: To Restore Closed Hearts and Minds (Asahi Shimbun, July 28, 2021)
*available only in Japanese
YouTube “Arrupe Channel”
You can see our activities and videos of World Refugee Day events.
Request for your support
The activities of Arrupe Refugee Center are supported not by government or official support but by your donations. We appreciate your support.
Arrupe News Letter No.2 (July 2021)
*available only in Japanese