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Date: December 09, 2022
Organized by: Responsible Foreign Worker Acceptance Platform (JP-MIRAI) Secretariat
Location: International Conference Hall, 2nd floor of JICA Ichigaya Bldg. and webinar via Zoom
Contents
On December 9, 2022, the Platform for Responsible Foreign Worker Induction (JP-MIRAI), for which JICA serves as the Joint Secretariat, held a public forum titled “Considering Vulnerabilities throughout the Foreign Worker Process”, which was attended by 230 people both online and at the venue. The forum was attended by 230 people both online and at the venue.
In the first part of the open forum, Eimi Akiyama of the JP-MIRAI Secretariat reported on the highlights of JP-MIRAI activities in 2022, and presented certificates of commendation to the six members who received awards for excellence at the two member activity reporting sessions held in 2022.
The second part of the open forum, entitled “Considering the Vulnerability of Foreign Workers throughout the Process,” featured discussions with a number of experts and practitioners on the panel.
The event began with opening remarks by President Tanaka, followed by remarks by guests of honor from Mr. Hajime Nakatani, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Mr. Hiroshi Kikuchi, Director General of the Immigration and Residence Management Agency. After that, video messages from three foreign workers in Japan were presented, including self-introductions, problems they encountered when they came to Japan, what they are glad about working in Japan, and messages to their host companies.
In Session 1 of the panel discussion in the latter half of the session, under the theme of “What JP-MIRAI should do in Business and Human Rights,” Mr. Nobuyuki Negishi, Procurement Division, Subaru Corporation, Mr. Yasuhiro Inoue, Vice President, Osaka Food Service Industry Association, and Mr. Kenji Miyashita, Director, Executive Officer, Sustainability & ESG/Liaison/General Affairs, McDonald’s Corporation of Japan, moderated the panel discussion. Mr. Kenji Miyashita, Director, Executive Officer, Sustainability & ESG / External Affairs / General Affairs, McDonald’s Corporation, Japan, participated in the session. In this session, they discussed issues in conducting human rights due diligence in corporate supply chains, issues in correcting the so-called fee problem that technical intern trainees pay before coming to Japan, efforts to promote the certification system, and the role JP-MIRAI should play in the future.
Session 2, titled “What We Should Work on in Multicultural Conviviality,” was moderated by Toshihiro Keke, Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange, and featured Haruchi Kuroiwa, President of the Saga International Association, Mutsuko Yaei, Representative Director of NPO Tumanhati Fukuoka, and Everest Bhupal Man Shrestha, the first director of Everest International School Japan, participated in the session. In this session, the participants discussed the challenges that foreign residents face in order to live stably in Japan, the consultations that are frequently received from foreign residents, how to view Japanese language education in the context of foreign residents’ life in Japan, and the role that JP-MIRAI should play in a multicultural society.
The panelists, from their respective standpoints, expressed their expectations for JP-MIRAI to be able to grasp the actual situation of foreign workers through JP-MIRAI’s consultation and relief pilot project, their hopes for a Japan that is chosen by foreign workers by respecting their rights, their sympathy for JP-MIRAI’s philosophy, their hopes for lively discussions among JP-MIRAI members and policy proposals based on their knowledge of the actual conditions in which foreign workers live, and their expectations for JP-MIRAI’s policy proposals from the viewpoint of making foreign workers not only workers but also residents. We received many proposals and messages from the participants: sympathy for JP-MIRAI’s philosophy, active discussion among JP-MIRAI members, expectations for policy proposals based on their knowledge of the realities of foreign residents, and expectations for various activities from the viewpoint of viewing foreign residents not only as workers but also as residents.
Mr. Kimitoshi Yabuki, Representative Director of JP-MIRAI Service, concluded the event with closing remarks, which was a great success.
Once again, we would like to thank all the speakers and all those who participated both at the venue and online. Based on the discussions, we will further promote efforts to contribute to the appropriate acceptance of foreign workers toward a “Japan of Choice”.
(Note) Details of each session, video clips and materials from the day will be available later on the JP-MIRAI website as “Implementation Report (Detailed Version)”.
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