The 43rd Festival for Settled Refugees in Japan

On Sunday the 20th of November 2022, “The 43rd Festival for Settled Refugees in Japan” was jointly held by FWEAP and Shinjuku-Ward Office at Shinjuku Cultural Center, Tokyo.

The morning session of the Festival was a discussion session titled "The 3rd Discussion with Settled Refugees in Japan", where long-term settled refugees from various communities and representatives from national and international organizations including Shinjuku-Ward Office, UNHCR Representative Office in Japan plus many private sectors which provide support to the refugees, had participated and all of them exchanged their views on the discussion theme; "How to succeed the refugee community activities? -from the founding generation to the next generations- "

In the meantime, some of the officials from relevant government agencies, international organizations as well as researchers interested in refugees gathered to the venue and they monitored live video of the session at another rooms.

In this discussion session, those who have taken over the community activities from the founding generation, such as Ms. Marina YASHIRO, Director of Cambodia Community in Japan (CCJ), introduced the way how the second generation of the settled refugees came to participate in the community and also about new initiatives they have taken.

Meanwhile, to this discussion session, FWEAP invited some people from the communities which do not have the refugee background. Ms. Juri AFUSO from “ABC Japan”, an NGO established by Japanese Brazilian community in Japan, gave her presentation on the development of her organization's activities and, as a third generation of Japanese Brazilian, she talked about what she noticed and kept it in her mind in succeeding the activities.

The afternoon session of the Festival was "Commendations for cooperating organizations and individuals and outstanding settled refugees".

For this session, some representatives from central and local government agencies such as the head of Shinjuku Ward Office, Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commissioner of the Immigration Services, as well as representatives from international organizations such as Deputy Representative (Legal Affairs) of UNHCR Representative Office in Japan participated, while some congratulatory telegrams of Prime Minister of Japan, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, were introduced.

Then, FWEAP honored settled refugees who has been contributed to enhance the relation between the community of refugees and local residents and also Japanese entrepreneur and/or organizations which has been providing supports toward the settled refugees.

Commendation receivers are follows:

Mr. DINH VAN PHAN