日本語
English
नेपाली
Due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, over 4 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee the country as of April 1. While the number of refugees coming to Japan is not as high compared to neighboring countries, there are still a significant number of evacuees who rely on friends and family to seek refuge in Japan.
Sadly, people forced to flee overseas due to similar fears and threats to their lives are spread across the globe, including Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine.
In response to such a heartbreaking reality, JII wants to embark on concrete support activities as a team, through our ongoing efforts, even if our contribution is small.
■Target Audience: Refugees living in Japan (regardless of nationality)
■Content of Support Activities:
In our "Otonari-san Family Friend Program (abbreviated as OFP)," Japanese residents volunteer to partner with foreign residents living nearby in the same community, engaging in activities such as the following.
For six months, we provide personalized support through one-on-one interactions, whether in person, online, or via chat. This includes addressing questions and challenges faced by foreign residents in their daily lives, differences in cultural lifestyles, practicing everyday Japanese, and understanding the unique social rules and manners of their local community. Throughout the program, a dedicated coordinator will assist in facilitating communication and resolving individual issues.
We will introduce the "Otonari-san Family Friend Program (abbreviated as OFP)" in multiple languages for refugees and provide communication support that has been offered to foreign residents who have lived in Japan for many years.
■Available Foreign Language: English
■Number of families accepted: 3 families/month (until the end of 2023)
■Cost: Free
■Note:
Japanese volunteers (Otonari-san) provide support for everyday life in Japan for the general public, without requiring any specialized skills.
Care that requires expertise in healthcare and welfare, as well as systematic Japanese language education, is not included.
If there are highly specialized consultations that OPF cannot handle, JII will provide information from government and related consultation agencies as much as possible.
Otonari-san Family Friend Program
As of April 1, more than four million Ukrainians have fled their home country due to Russia's military invasion. While the number of Ukrainian evacuees arriving in Japan is relatively small compared to neighboring countries, there are still those who seek refuge in Japan, hoping for support from friends and family.
Tragically, an increasing number of people are being forced to flee their home countries due to fear and danger in their lives, as seen in places like Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine.
In response to these heartbreaking realities, we, the JII team, are launching support that extends from our ongoing program, OFP, for those who have evacuated to Japan.
■ Eligible Individuals
Evacuees beginning their new lives in Japan (Home country not specified.)
■ Details of Our Support
Our OFP program, known as the Otonari-san Family Friend program, provides support for foreign nationals living in Japan by connecting them with Otonari-sans, Japanese volunteers who reside nearby. Below is a brief summary of the program.
For six months, they interact with each other through face-to-face meetings, online communication, and texting. Through their interactions with an Otonari-san, a foreign resident receives personalized support in addressing questions and challenges encountered in daily life, understanding cultural differences, practicing Japanese for everyday conversations, and learning the rules and etiquette of the local community. Additionally, our coordinators monitor their interactions to facilitate communication and resolve individual issues.
To evacuees, we will introduce this program in multiple languages and provide communication support through OFP, which has been assisting foreign residents living in Japan for many years.
■ Available Languages
English
■ The number of individuals we provide support for
Three families per month (until the end of 2023)
■ Participation Fee
Free
■ Note
Otonari-san as Japanese volunteers are ordinary citizens. Therefore, support will be limited to matters related to daily life that do not require specialized knowledge.
Requests that require specialized knowledge, such as in the fields of medical welfare or the Japanese language, will NOT be included in our support.
If participants request support requiring expertise in specialized areas that the program cannot address, we will provide information about public services or related organizations to the best of our ability.
As of April 1, 2022, over four million Ukrainians have left their homeland due to the military invasion by Russia. Although the number of evacuated Ukrainians arriving in Japan is not as large compared to neighboring countries, there are those who are fleeing to Japan in hopes of receiving support from their friends and relatives.
Unfortunately, more and more people around the world are being forced to leave their home countries due to fear and threats to their lives. For example, the number of refugees from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine is increasing.
In light of these unfortunate circumstances, we, the JII team, are launching support that extends to our current OFP program for those who have evacuated to Japan.
■ Eligible Participants:
Evacuees starting a new life in Japan (home country not specified).
■ Details of our support:
Our OFP (Otonari-san Family Friend) program offers support to foreign residents living in Japan. Otonari-san are Japanese volunteers who live in the local area.
A brief overview of the program is below.
For six months, a volunteer and a person in need of support interact with each other through face-to-face meetings, online, and via text messages. Through their interactions with Otonari-san, the evacuee receives personalized support in addressing issues and challenges that arise in daily life, understanding cultural differences, practicing Japanese for everyday conversation, and learning the rules and manners of the local community. Our coordinators also monitor their interactions to facilitate communication and address individual concerns.
For evacuees, we will implement this program in multiple languages and offer communication support through OFP, which has long supported foreign residents living in Japan.
■ Available Language
English
■ Number of people we offer support to:
Three families per month (until the end of 2023)
■ Participation Fee
Free
■ Note
Otonari-san are Japanese volunteers who are ordinary citizens. Therefore, the support will be limited to everyday life issues that do not require specialized knowledge.
Requests that require specialized knowledge, such as in the fields of medical welfare, Japanese language, etc., will NOT be included in our support.
If participants request support that requires knowledge in specialized areas that the program cannot address, we provide information about government services or related organizations.
Since the military invasion by Russia on April 1, more than four million Ukrainians have fled their home country. Although the number of Ukrainian evacuees coming to Japan is not significantly higher compared to neighboring countries of Ukraine, there are still those who escape to Japan in hopes of support from their friends and relatives.
It is unfortunate that more and more people around the world, such as those in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine, are being forced to flee their countries due to fear and danger in their lives.
For those heart-wrenching realities, we, the JII team, offer launch support that extends from our ongoing OFP program for those who have left Japan.
■ Eligible individuals starting a life in Japan (home country not specified.)
■ Details for Our Support
Our OFP program, known as the Otonari-san Family Friend Program, provides support for foreign nationals living in Japan by connecting them with Japanese volunteers who reside in close proximity. A brief summary of the program is provided below. For six months, participants engage in face-to-face interactions as well as online communication and texting. Through conversations with an Otonari-san, foreign residents receive personal support in resolving questions and challenges encountered in daily life, facilitating an understanding of cultural differences, practicing the Japanese language for everyday conversations, and learning the rules and etiquette of the local community in a certain manner. Additionally, our coordinators monitor their interactions to facilitate communication and address personal issues.
For those who have been removed, we will offer this program in multiple languages and provide communication assistance through OFP, which has long supported foreign residents living in Japan.
■ Available Languages
English
■ The number of people we assist
Three families per month (by the end of 2023)
■Participation Fee
Free
■ Note
Otonari-san are ordinary citizens serving as Japanese volunteers. Therefore, support will be limited to matters related to daily life that do not require specialized knowledge.
Requests that require specialized knowledge, such as in the field of medical welfare or the Japanese language, will not be included in our support. If participants request support for knowledge in specific areas, we will provide information to public services or relevant organizations as much as possible.
Since the Russian military invasion on April 1st, more than four million Ukrainians have fled their homeland. Although the number of Ukrainians arriving in Japan is not as high compared to neighboring countries, there are still those who escape to Japan in hopes of helping their friends and relatives.
It is unfortunate that more and more people around the world, such as those from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine, are being forced to leave their countries due to fear and danger for their lives.
For those heart-wrenching realities, we, the JII team, are launching support that has been expanded from our ongoing OFP program for those who have moved outside of Japan. Details to assist individuals returning to start their lives in Japan (the home country is not specified).
The Otonari-san program serves as a family-friendly initiative that connects foreign residents living in Japan with Japanese volunteers known as Otonari-san, who reside in the local area. A brief overview of the program is provided below. For six months, participants communicate face-to-face, online, and via text messaging. Through interactions with Otonari-san, foreign residents receive assistance in addressing everyday questions and challenges, understanding cultural differences, practicing Japanese for daily conversations, and gaining personal support in learning grammar and etiquette in a unique way. Our coordinators also facilitate their interactions and help resolve personal issues.
For those who are removed, we will offer this program in multiple languages and provide communication support through OFP, which has been assisting long-term foreign residents in Japan.
Available Languages
We help all people in English.
Participation fee for three families each month (until the end of 2023)
Free Note
Otonari-san volunteers are ordinary citizens in Japan. Therefore, the support will be limited to everyday life matters that do not require specialized knowledge.
Requests that require specialized knowledge, such as in the field of medical welfare or the Japanese language, are not covered by our support. If participants request assistance for knowledge in specific areas, we provide as much information as possible to public services or relevant organizations.
Due to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military on April 1st, over 4 million Ukrainian citizens have been forced to flee to safety.
The number of Ukrainian refugees who have relocated to Japan is relatively small compared to neighboring countries, but they are able to settle in Japan with the support of friends and family.
There are many people hoping for support and assistance.
People from various countries, including Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Palestine, have been forced to flee their homelands due to fears of violence and threats to their lives.
The JII team will expand the current OFP programs to provide support and assistance for individuals relocating to Japan in response to these unfortunate events.
Eligible Applicants
Individuals residing in Japan (without a designated nationality)
Detailed Support
The program known as OFP, or Otonari-san Family, connects foreign residents living in Japan with Japanese volunteers from the local community.
The program summary is outlined below
You can connect with a Japanese representative from Otonari-san through online conversations and messaging. By communicating back and forth with Otonari-san, you can engage with those living in Japan.
As a foreigner, receiving support from Otonari-san to solve the challenges faced in daily life, understanding the cultural differences in living, and improving Japanese language skills through communication with Otonari-san, as well as the opportunity to learn about local customs and regulations.
We will provide support
During the six-month period, our supervisors will facilitate smooth communication with Otonari-san.
We would like to inform you that this program will be offered in various languages.
We will also provide communication support through a program called OFP, which assists foreign residents living in Japan.
Available Languages
English
Supporting Population
Three families per month (up to 2023)
Participation Fee
No admission required
Note
Japanese-style Otonari-san serving as volunteers
We will only provide support that is necessary for the daily lives of ordinary citizens.
Support for Healthcare Social Welfare and Specialized Japanese Language Education
Not included
However, if there are specialized consultations that OPF cannot support, JII will share information from the government and relevant advisory organizations.