【OFP New Initiative Support – Funding Campaign】
Harnessing the Power of Community to Build Meaningful Connections
~ From small, joyful interactions to a more inclusive society ~
Donations made through Give One (Japanese Only) or Benevity are tax-deductible.
Invisible Barriers Despite Proximity – Judgment Without Knowing the Reality
“They look intimidating,” “They probably don’t speak the language.”
These are assumptions that many people make, leading them to build walls even before engaging with a person.
Others have said:
“From a young age we’re taught not to be loud or leave trash behind in public spaces or on trains. I’d like foreign residents to value this part of our culture, too.”
“I’d love to participate in activities with foreign residents and help in any way I can, but it’s not easy to just start a conversation on the street. How can we connect?”
Before I had real interactions with foreign residents myself, I felt the same way.Hearing about immigration issues in the U.S. and Europe made me wonder: Japan’s foreign population is increasing—can we handle it? Yet, without foreign workers, our economy and society might not function. It’s a complicated feeling.
Meanwhile, foreign residents in Japan face daily challenges:
“It was hard finding a hospital willing to assist with my childbirth.”
“I applied to five kindergartens, but they all rejected my child.”
“I was denied dozens of rental applications just for being a foreigner.”
“I can’t understand official letters, so I can’t complete the processes I need to.”
“I want to learn Japanese culture and customs but have no trusted Japanese person to ask.”
“I only know people from work, and it’s suffocating. I want connections outside my job.”
“I can’t make Japanese friends.”
While Japan’s foreign population grows, invisible walls divide foreign and Japanese residents. Misunderstandings and mistrust arise because their thoughts and the details of their circumstances don’t reach each other.
This divide threatens to fracture Japan’s harmonious society.
What Individuals Can Do – Building Relationships for Dialogue
Globally-speaking, Japan has one of the strictest immigration systems, but with the announcement of the acceptance of foreign workers, a true “era of immigration” has begun.
Unlike countries like the U.S., which receives over 2 million undocumented immigrants annually, or Europe, which admits 3–4 million immigrants even during peacetime, Japan’s experience with immigration remains limited. For over 120 years since the “Naichi Zakkyo Debate,” Japan has rarely lived alongside foreign residents. The challenge of coexistence is a new and unavoidable task.
In confronting globalization and an aging society, a diverse and inclusive community feels vital.
To be able to embrace diversity beyond just an intellectual understanding, we need experiences that appeal to our senses and emotions.
Surveys reveal that many Japanese people don’t know the realities of foreign residents’ lives, and nearly half of respondents have no interaction with foreigners at all. We must create opportunities for mutual understanding and dialogue between individuals that exceeds this surface-level “understanding”.
What OFP Has Achieved – Everyday Connections as Support
Government and specialized agencies have long provided targeted support for foreign residents with specific needs.
However, for the majority of foreign residents unfamiliar with life in Japan, everyday challenges—such as navigating unfamiliar government systems, language barriers, and different social norms and expectations—require immense time and effort to resolve alone.
To address this disparity, JII launched Japan’s first “Otonari-san Family Friend Program (OFP)” four years ago. This grassroots initiative empowers Japanese residents to help foreign neighbors overcome isolation and challenges, fostering a society where everyone feels comfortable and at home.
Through OFP, we’ve facilitated over 1,400 connections between Japanese volunteers and foreign participants. With a meticulous matching process, we’ve achieved a 90% success rate in matches and a similar pair completion rate over six months.
Many relationships continue as genuine friendships beyond the program.
Our focus isn’t just providing support, but building relationships based on equality between Japanese and foreign residents. This approach that fosters mutual understanding and trust by engaging in meaningful dialogue has gained widespread support, and continues to grow.
OFP isn’t just about supporting foreign residents; it’s about creating strong bonds within the community. These small, joyful connections offer individuals learning opportunities and new perspectives while planting seeds of goodwill across society.
Support Our New Challenge – Investing in a Better Future
Over the past four years, we’ve assisted diverse groups of foreign residents, including parents, students, workers, and refugees.
These experiences have allowed us to refine our matching process and expand our support capabilities.
Now, we’re leveraging this expertise to build a new platform, “Help Desk (Spot Otonari-san)”, that provides flexible, short-term support for foreign residents’ immediate challenges.
【What is “Spot Otonari-san”?】This initiative addresses issues in the scopes of welfare, education, healthcare, and daily necessities by enabling volunteers to offer pinpoint-based support. Initially developed for refugees, we’re expanding these efforts to a broader population.
With IT engineers specializing in AI joining our team, this groundbreaking platform is now within reach. However, its development requires both initial investment and sustainable funding.
While OFP has relied on grants from private organizations, the nature of this project and its emphasis on future potential make funding uncertain.
We need 2 million yen for initial development and operational costs, server fees, and more.
This initiative isn’t just for foreign residents—it’s for everyone.
By learning, supporting, and understanding each other, we can create a society where everyone thrives.
Unlike traditional investments that yield financial returns, supporting OFP offers a different kind of reward as a “better society” not measured by money such as “creating new systems that transform lives”, “offering individuals new experiences and perspectives”, and “driving positive societal change”.
Everyone needs support at some point in their lives.
We believe that the support shouldn’t be an end goal, but a source of greater strength that creates a means to connect people, unlock potential, and create joy.
Join us in this new challenge.
Support OFP as an ally and help construct a “society of coexistence” for all of us.
We also welcome your feedback as well as any and all messages of support! Please share this campaign with friends and family to expand our network of support.
Let’s take small steps toward a better future together—steps that we believe can lead to transformative change for everyone.
Donations made through Give One (Japanese Only) or Benevity are tax-deductible.
Share your thoughts and
leave us a motivational message!
私にとって４年前のOFJとの出会いは仕事をリタイヤ後、ボランティア活動に移行できるとても良い機会でした。
地元で日本語を教えるなかでみなさんが目指しているものをいつも意識しながら、外国人の方の生活や不安、心配事など困りごとに寄り添っています。日本語の勉強は自身の努力の積み重ねだと思いますが、いくら努力をしても国の違いはありますから、暮らしづらさは解決できず不安や心配など困りごとは広がるばかりだと思います。
行政でも交流の場の提供はありますが、外国人の生活に必要な細かい情報は殆どなく困りごとへの対応は曖昧であるのが現況です。
OFJの活動拡大は、みなさんが日本で生活するうえで外国人支援はどうあるべきなのか、時間をかけ尽力され熱い思いを少しずつ形にされてきたのだと思うととても感慨深いです。
いつも地域や社会のためにありがとうございます。活動応援しています！
JIIのBig Fanです！おとなりさんファミリーフレンドプログラムを通じて、自分の世界が広がりました！！寄付額達成できますよう、祈っています(^^♪
人びとがそれぞれの良さを保ちながら「良き隣人」として生きる。
JIIの考え方が大好きです！
陰ながら応援しております😊
Donations made through Give One (Japanese Only) or Benevity are tax-deductible.
Column
“She doesn’t speak very nicely.”
That’s what my daughter said about a foreign student in her class. “She says rude stuff, so the other kids don’t like her,” she added. “She doesn’t have any friends.”
After thinking for a moment, I asked my daughter:
“If you used incorrect Japanese or spoke a little too roughly, mom or dad would tell you, ‘It would be better if you didn’t say it that way,’ right? But what if her parents don’t know Japanese? They might not even notice the way she’s speaking. She might not even have a chance to fix it.”
My daughter’s face lit up with realization. “Oh, yeah…,” she said quietly, nodding in understanding.
What seems like a simple parent-child conversation could actually highlight a challenge our society faces as a whole. Too often, we judge others’ behaviors at face value without seeking to understand the reasons behind them. We might jump to conclusions like, “That’s just how foreigners are.” This phenomenon is a tendency that I see happening all across Japan.
The truth is, behind many instances of “not being able to do something” lies the reality of “not having the chance to learn.” Without knowledge, someone doesn’t even have the opportunity to improve. At the same time, many Japanese people who wish foreign residents would better understand Japanese culture and customs rarely have opportunities to convey these things.
Why don’t these opportunities for mutual understanding exist? That’s because we haven’t built relationships where dialogue can happen.
Through our activities with the OFP program, we’ve realized that many of the difficulties foreign residents face living in Japan, as well as the anxieties and misunderstandings Japanese people feel toward foreigners, stem from a lack of understanding. Bridging these gaps in knowledge requires more than language skills or support—it requires building “dialogue-based relationships.”
The new platform we are launching aims to go beyond solving day-to-day challenges. It strives to expand these dialogue-based relationships, fostering deeper connections and mutual understanding between the participants.
As this initiative is the first of its kind in Japan, we believe this platform will create a new model of mutual support in society. By transforming the divisions caused by “not knowing” into opportunities to know, understand, and live together, we can create a better future. We can fill in the gaps that governments and business cannot, building a truly inclusive society together. We see this as an investment in the future, and one that only JII can realize. We invite you to consider supporting us through a donation to help make our vision a reality.
Let’s work together to bring a shape to our dream and turn it into something tangible.
This time, I would like to explain in more detail what is possible with our new initiative, the “Spot Otonari-san Platform,” which focuses on solving everyday problems faced by foreign residents, and also how it differs from the Otonari-san Family Friend Program (OFP).
These are the voices of foreign residents who actually live in Japan.
“I received a notice about my child’s vaccination from the government office, but I didn’t know that I had to choose a clinic and make the appointment myself. A Japanese friend taught me how to do it, and I was able to make the appointment successfully.”
“The procedures at the government office are complicated, and most of the documents and processes are in Japanese. My Japanese friend accompanied me, which was a great help, and everything went smoothly. It would have been difficult to do on my own.”
” My Japanese friend contacted the government office and helped me check the complicated requirements regarding my child’s daycare application, allowing my child to be accepted.”
“In my home country, I first go to the general medicine department at the clinic and then get referred to a specialist depending on my symptoms. In Japan, I had to decide which department to go to on my own. When my child had symptoms of atopic dermatitis, I couldn’t decide whether to go to pediatrics or dermatology, but my Japanese friend explained that I should go to dermatology if it’s clearly a skin issue, which was very helpful.”
“My son, who couldn’t speak Japanese, moved to Japan with our family when he was 11 years old. Since both of us were working parents, we had difficulty finding a place to leave him during working hours. We were told about an after-school daycare program, but my son didn’t meet the age requirements. A Japanese acquaintance told me about another group where my son could be taken care of. He made friends there and is able to enjoy life. Without knowing about that, both my child and I would have been under a lot more pressure.”
Due to language and differences in social systems, what may seem like a routine matter for Japanese people can be a significant challenge for foreign residents. Thanks to the connections with people who helped them, their everyday lives started to move forward.
◆ JII’s approach: Leveraging the wisdom of local residents
In Japan’s foreign resident support policy, there is a common trend for government bodies or professionals to create special services for foreigners. Services like multilingual support, opportunities for learning Japanese, and assistance for those in need are all important, but there is a significant blind spot.
When foreign residents face difficulties, they first consult with family, followed next by Japanese friends and acquaintances, and then foreign friends and acquaintances. These groups account for 70-80% of the consultation sources. For those without family, friends and acquaintances become their primary sources of support. Consulting with employers, government agencies, or private organizations comes afterward (according to the R5 Immigration Bureau survey).
In the societies where people are born and raised, everyone relies on a network of family, friends, and acquaintances. However, for foreign residents who live far from familiar networks, the greatest deficit is the lack of connections with people and the absence of firsthand experience or information about the local society.
Most of the daily challenges that foreign residents face are not in areas that require professional expertise. Even what might seem like a simple matter for Japanese people, such as those that were mentioned above, can present a major hurdle for foreign residents. Despite spending enormous amounts of time and effort, their problems often become more complicated, and their difficulties increase. As a result, more and more foreign residents are “isolated” because they don’t know who to ask for help.
This situation can be improved by having connections with Japanese people who have extensive experience living in Japan.
We believe that foreign residents should not be confined to their own world. If only the government or specialized support organizations were there to help, foreign residents would remain outsiders in Japanese society. By connecting with the greater society and receiving help from others, they can develop a sense of security and learn how to solve problems on their own. Helping foreign residents with their difficulties brings about new discoveries for both Japanese and foreign residents.
Building personal connections and deepening mutual understanding is the true essence of cultural coexistence, and we believe that it will be a powerful driving force for creating a rich, harmonious society.
◆ Would you help create a future of coexistence together?
Throughout the four years of the OFP program, we’ve realized that many Japanese people want to help support foreign residents.
With their help, we have accumulated experience in solving the problems faced by foreign residents and providing support for refugees.
This new platform aims to expand the circle of mutual support that was previously limited.
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【”Spot Otonari-san Platform” – A project focused on solving everyday problems faced by foreign residents】
~ Experienced people able to provide a little bit of help when they can ~ (You can also understand the difference from OFP)
・A system that connects foreign residents who need help with Japanese people who can assist them on a one-time basis
・No fixed period (such as the six months with OFP)
・A new way for foreign residents to find reliable people who can help solve their problems
・The issues where assistance can be provided are clearly defined (limited to welfare, child-rearing and education, healthcare, and the frameworks for living, such as utilities or phone service )
・Foreign residents will be able to solve their everyday problems more quickly than before
・Japanese people will gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by foreign residents through hands-on support and will acquire a broader perspective on society
・If mutual compatibility is good, the two can apply to become an OFP pair
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We believe this new initiative will be a significant step toward creating a society where everyone can live with peace of mind, and have been nurturing this idea with that belief in mind.
How donations will be used：
・¥500,000: We can provide introductory support for solving short-term problems via the website application method.
・¥1,000,000: We can provide short-term problem-solving support for 170 people per year using the website application method.
・¥1,500,000: We can allocate funds for programming design costs and server setup for the IT platform.
・¥2,000,000: We can complete the IT platform and provide support for 300 people in one year.
Through “experienced people being able to provide a little bit of help when they can,” we can solve many problems. The more opportunities for mutual understanding between Japanese and foreign residents, the more a society where everyone can live comfortably, free from conflict and misunderstanding, will emerge.
If you are in agreement with our vision, your generous support would be greatly appreciated.
Donations as small as the cost of a lunch are also possible and warmly welcomed.
Thank you very much for your support.
Donations made through Give One (Japanese Only) or Benevity are tax-deductible.
＜ Our Bank Information ＞
Please refer to our bank information below.
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Bank Name：SBI SUMISHIN NET BANK, LTD.TOKYO（住信SBIネット銀行） （Bank Code：0038）
Branch Code：106（法人第一支店）
Account type ：Savings Account（普通）
Account Number：1418300
Account Name：
(In Kanji ) 特定非営利活動法人アジア人文文化交流促進協会
(In Katakana）トクヒ）アジアジンブンブンカコウリュウソクシンキョウカイ
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