Roundtable Examines NPO and Stakeholder Roles in Foreign Residents and Refugee Support in Japan

The United States-Japan Foundation (USJF) collaborated with the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) USA and hosted a discussion event on March 18, 2026, in Tokyo. The event was organized around the findings of a recent JCIE USA report produced on December 18, 2025, supported by USJF, which examines the role of Japanese nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in facilitating the integration of foreign residents and refugees into Japanese society.

The event brought together 26 participants from 17 organizations, including NPOs, foundations, and companies, joining both in person and online. The session featured a presentation of the report’s key findings, followed by a structured discussion among participants.

The discussion centered on three core topics drawn from the report, considering the recent political state:

Policy Environment and Institutional Responses

With the recent government policies by the current Takaichi administration, the participants discussed areas of progress and persistent gaps, and how these developments are affecting organizations working on the ground.
Responding to Public Perceptions and Social Responses

Participants examined how changing public attitudes (including prejudice and anti-immigrant sentiment) are influencing nonprofit activities, as well as strategies for responding to these shifts and reshaping public narratives.
Cross-Sector Collaboration and Its Challenges

With challenges in cross-sector collaborations like differences in perspectives, concerns about maintaining public interests, and ways to strengthen partnership switch corporate and other external factors.

The discussion provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange their perspectives and reflect on both the opportunities and constraints that the organizations face while working in this space.

USJF will continue to convene similar discussions and events to support knowledge and sharing dialogue across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, and to strengthen connections between the grantees’ approaches to addressing shared challenges.

Roundtable Examines NPO and Stakeholder Roles in Foreign Residents and Refugee Support in Japan

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