The population of foreign residents is rapidly increasing and diversifying in Japan. Yet policies and systems to support their successful integration into Japanese society have not caught up with this trend.  As a result, many Japanese nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are helping to fill this gap between existing support infrastructure and everyday needs experienced by migrants on the ground. They provide a wide range of services such as Japanese language education, education of children/youth of foreign roots, serving as an intermediary support organization or support center, and access to public and specialized services such as legal services.

Building on JCIE’s program on population decline and immigration in Japan (2014-), JCIE USA conducted a 9-month project (January 1-September 30, 2025) focused on these Japanese NPOs. Through background research and interviews with a select group of Japanese NPOs, the project identified their key challenges, how they collaborate with other stakeholders, and the insights they are seeking from international experience, particularly the United States.

The project aimed to highlight the critical role that these Japanese NPOs play for Japan to become a multicultural society free from conflicts. The results of the project also helped assess the need for a future program providing opportunities for Japanese NPOs to engage with their counterparts in the United States. 

The project was generously funded by the United States-Japan Foundation. For more information about this project and its results, please contact [email protected]