Professor Keichi Kumagai and seven students from Ochanomizu
University came to visit the APFS office!
APFS Representative Jotaro Kato began by introducing APFS’s history as an organization that has worked together with non-regular migrants to help them overcome countless difficulties. He also went on to discuss our current activities and future prospects, from our vantage as a rapidly changing organization.
Then, one of APFS’s members Garcia-san talked about his desire to live in Japan, and his feelings for his family here. The students surely saw how deeply Garcia-san has connected with Japanese people over the course of his life here in Japan, especially when he became teary-eyed as he recalled Japanese people who had helped him in the past.
Students asked a number of impressive questions such as:
"How does APFS interact with and gain the understanding of the community?"
"Why would some people be denied Special Residence Permits, even when they meet specific guidelines?"
"Do problems arise when the primary language of parents is different than that of their children?”
We were very impressed by the sharp minds of the students and, ultimately, our time together was very educational for us all!Nothing would make us happier than if this should lead to a greater understanding of and interest in non-regular migrants in Japan.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Professor Kumagai and everybody at Ochanomizu University!
