Making an Intercultural City

A list of the projects we hold to create a city of intercultural exchange

Consultations and Providing Information

Intercultural Exchange General Consultations One Stop Center (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Division)

Consultations Supported in Various Languages

There is a desk in the Hamamatsu Intercultural Center you can receive advice in many different languages.
We wanted to have somewhere that you could receive many types of advice from one place, so we hold the One Stop Consultation Center.

• Consultation Service: Our counselors (who are well versed in various languages and cultures) are available to provide general daily advice. Immediate consultations can be made in Japanese, Portuguese, English, Spanish, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnam, and Indonesian. For other languages, we provide remote consultation using a tablet (total of 13 languages)
• Every Saturday, our counselors are assigned to disseminate information in minority languages via SNS and to also provide simple consultation services.
• On-site consultations: We provide consultations and workshops at schools, churches, businesses, stores, and other places where foreign residents gather.
• Individual support: For cases which require more assistance, we cooperate with organizations who can assist and provide support to the individual.

Consultations with: Lawyer, Legal Scrivener, Taxation Specialist and Immigration Officer

We hold specialist one-stop consultations in collaboration with lawyers, legal scrivener, taxation specialist and immigration officers in multiple languages.

• Consultations with a Lawyer: In cooperation with Shizuoka Prefecture Bar Association and Houterasu ( twice a month)
• Consultations with a Legal Scrivener: In cooperation with the Nishien Branch of the Shizuoka Association of Administrative Scriveners (twice a month)
• Consultations with a Taxation Specialist: Co-hosted with Tokai Certified Public Tax Accountants Association. Tax return Support (February)

＊All consultations can be held in: Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and English

• Immigration, Residence Procedures Support:
  • Consultations on Status of Residence: Conducted in cooperation with the Nagoya Bureau of Immigration and Residence Management (once a month)
  • Immigration One-Stop Center: Conducted in cooperation with the Nagoya Bureau of Immigration and Residence Management (every Wednesday). Languages supported are Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Social Work Workshops

This is a training workshop for multilingual support staff (foreign consultants and interpreters) to improve their skills in dealing with a wide variety of situations and consultations which arise when interpreting. A particular emphasis is placed on the training of consultation interpreters as professional human resources.

In addition to learning how to support foreign residents in their daily lives and how to prepare for questions related to this, the workshop provides a place for participants to exchange information and opinions.

Examples of topics: Road Safety, Working Contracts, Nursing Care Insurance System, Assisting Refugees etc.

Foreign Resident Work Consultations (Commissioned by Hamamatsu Industrial Promotion Division）

Foreign Resident Work Consultations

The “Hamamatsu City Employment Consultation Support Desk for Foreigners” is in Hamamatsu Multicultural Center. It matches companies that wish to hire foreign nationals with foreign residents who wish to work for companies in Hamamatsu. It also works in cooperation with private organizations, to promote high-level foreign talent work in small and medium-sized companies in Hamamatsu.

Mental Health Consultations (Commissioned by Hamamatsu Mental Health and Welfare Center)

Mental Health Consultations

Consultations are available with a Brazilian psychologist in Portuguese (by appointment only).

Mental Health Consultations (Simultaneous Interpretation)

Interpreters are dispatched to citizens who need an interpreter when visiting a Psychiatrists, Psychosomatic Medical Physicians, or Child Development Consultation Specialists.

Supported Languages: Portuguese, Filipino (Tagalog), Vietnamese, Chinese, English and Indonesian.

Mental Health Support Workshops

We provide training for supporters of foreign resident children and hold workshops on learning about developmental disabilities of foreign children.

Small Group Workshops

We provide small support groups for people struggling with mental health issues.

Caregiver and Leadership Support Training for Childcare Centers

• Caregivers Support: Lectures on developmental disabilities and parenting tips are held for parents and caregivers of children attending Brazilian day care centers.

• Support for childcare providers: We send Brazilian child psychology experts to Brazilian childcare centers to give training to childcare providers.

Counselors for Japanese Nationals remaining in China (commissioned by Hamamatsu Welfare and General Affairs Division)

As part of the government’s support system, we provide consultation services in Chinese for Japanese returnees and others who have left China.

Dispatch of Interpreters (HICE project)

Dispatch of Interpreters

• Schools, Welfare institutions, etc.: Interpreters will be dispatched for a fee when needed for consultation or procedures.

• Neighborhood associations: Interpreters will be dispatched free of charge when needed for activities at neighborhood associations.

Japanese Language Learning Support

Japanese Language Classes (Commissioned by Tokyo International Affairs Division – Held by UTOC Hamamatsu Foreigner Resident Study Support Center)

We provide support for foreign residents to learn Japanese aiming to allow them to live independently in Japanese society.

Japanese Classes (Beginner General Classes)

Students will learn Japanese from scratch to the beginner level.

In the second half of the course, students do project work (UTOC original) to improve their ability to use the Japanese they have learned. Students will also learn vocabulary and grammar equivalent to N4, and aim to master beginners Japanese.

Japanese Language Classes (reading and writing)

We are splitting groups into 7 and teaching them Hiragana, Katakana, kanji, vocabulary, reading and comprehension skills in Japanese. Volunteers are assisting the students in their autonomous studies. The program is held throughout the year so that there is no waiting list for learners.

Parents and Children

A childcare service is provided so that mothers and fathers can concentrate on learning Japanese while raising their children. Children from all over the world are waiting to play and have fun!

Supporters (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Division – Carried Out by U-TOC (Foreign Resident Study Learning Support Center)

Japanese Language Volunteer Training Classes

This program trains volunteers to provide Japanese language support and after-school learning support to foreign residents. After the training course, U-TOC’s reading and writing classes and local after-school learning support groups with co-ordinate together..

Classes for Teachers on Intercultural Exchange

Multicultural lectures will be held during summer vacation, to improve teaching skills of teachers of classes with foreign residents children.

Up-Skilling Classes for Supporters

We hold courses for Local Japanese Language Educators and Volunteers to upskill.

After-school Learning Support Network

We hold meetings to exchange information with organizations that provide after-school learning support. We also have a mailing list among to share the information amongst the network about Japanese language learning support groups.

Community Japanese Language Support (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Affairs Division – UTOC (The Foreign Resident Study Support Center))

Filipino, Vietnamese – Hamakita

We financially supported the opening of learning support classes for children in foreign communities (Philippines and Vietnam) and Japanese language learning support classes in the northern area of Hamamatsu City (Hamakita and Tenryu).

Japanese Language Co-ordination (Individual or Businesses)

We provide consultation services for foreign residents to learn Japanese, and coordinate the use of the Japanese Language Volunteer Bank. We also coordinate Japanese language courses in cooperation with private Japanese language schools, etc., after hearing about the content of Japanese language education required by companies.

Japanese Language Support for High-Schoolers

We dispatch Japanese language study supporters upon request to high schools.

Development of local Japanese language education system (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Affairs Division – Held by Agency for Cultural Affairs)

We are creating a Japanese Language Education System based on the Hamamatsu Japanese Language Education Promotion Policy.

General Coordination Meeting and Network Meeting

We are investigating the Creation of a Local Japanese Language Education System in Hamamatsu by holding meetings with University Professors, Japanese Language Education Specialists, NPO, The Boards of Education, and Economic Organizations.

Japanese Language Class (Weekdays – Online)

Japanese Language Class (Saturday ＠ Hamakita-ku, Minami-ku, Higashi-ku)

We are developing a learning environment outside of the U-TOC, our base for Japanese language study. We are working on increasing the number of options that are not limited by time, day, or location.

Collaboration with Companies – Easy Japanese

We aim to promote the use of easy Japanese. We provide training for companies and local governments on how to convert to and use easy Japanese.

Training of Japanese Language Learning Supporters in Cooperation with Universities

Japanese Digital Content (Yaramaika Japanese)

Connected to Foreign Countries – Learning Supports for the Next Generation

“Zero Non-Enrollment of Foreign Residents Children” Operation (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Affairs Division)

Survey – Inquires

Dispatch of a Counsellor to Foreign Residents Schools

Study Support for the Youth ( Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Affairs Division – Held by UTOC (The Foreign Resident Study Support Center))

Finding Work Seminars

Network Meetings

Dispatch of Japanese Language Teachers to Foreign Residents Schools (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Division – Held by UTOC (The Foreign Resident Study Support Center))

Dispatch of Japanese Language Teachers to Foreign Residents Schools

Schooling Promotion Project (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Division)

Promotion of Schooling for Children of Foreign Residents

Intercultural Emergency Preparedness Events

Multicultural Disaster Preparedness (Commissioned by Hamamatsu International Affairs Division – Held by Multicultural Exchange Center Project)

Hamamatsu City and the Hamamatsu Foundation for International Communications and Exchange (HICE) made an agreement on March 5, 2015, based on the Hamamatsu City Regional Disaster Prevention Plan. They established the “Hamamatsu Multilingual Support Center for Times of Disaster” to support foreign residents in times of disaster.

Training for Disaster Preparedness – Multiple Languages Support Center

To preparation for disasters, the Multilingual Consultation Support Center holds multicultural disaster drills, and is raising disaster preparedness awareness to improve support systems for foreign residents.

Model District Disaster Drill

In order to raise awareness of disaster preparedness among foreign residents and to build interpersonal relationships among local and foreign residents, we are conducting model districts for foreign residents to participate in and conduct disaster drills.

Network Association Brainstorming Session

We are creating one-on-one relationships everyday among neighborhood associations, support groups for foreign residents, and the foreign resident community to strengthen ourselves and our network in preparation for any disasters.

We are using disaster preparedness drills amongst other methods to ensure things go smoothly in the case of a disaster, in cooperation with Tokai-Hokuriku Area Internationalization Association Liaison Council and other International Exchange Associations across Japan.

Hamamatsu will strengthen our network with personnel dispatch companies and various community organizations to make a strong the foundation for communicating information in the event of a disaster.

Training for Foreign Resident Leaders Disaster Preparedness Leaders

We provide training to foreign resident citizens who are fluent in Japanese so that they can play an active role as leaders in disaster preparedness.

Disaster, Preparedness Information

We use not only Facebook, but other social media to spread information about disaster and disaster prevention to foreign residents. We have a system in place which provides information in multiple languages in the event of a disaster.