A path counselling event was held for local school students from abroad and for their parents working in Japan. AIRA took part in this event as a co-sponsor (No. 23 -12)
Date and time: Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 13:30 to 16:30
Venue: Abiko Civic Plaza Multi-Purpose Hall
Sponsors: NPO Amigo Project, Global Community Matsudo and NPO glolab
Co-sponsors: AIRA and NPO ACOBA
Participants: Approx. 50 (elementary school and junior high school students, parents, interpreters and Certified Administrative Scriveners, among others)
At the venue, interpreters were placed for different foreign languages, and seating there was set on a language-by-language basis. The event went underway with all presented information being translated by them.
The session was moderated by Ms. KITAGAWA Toshiko, an AIRA member who serves as President of co-sponsor ACOBA. Following an opening address by Ms.KITAJIMA Fumiko, President of AIRA, the event went on in the following three parts.
Part 1: Keynote lecture “Map Out Your Future”
After leaving Peru for Japan at age 14, Mr. UEMURA Carlos (NPO Amigo Project) entered a junior high school in Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture and went on later to a prefectural high school before being recruited by a Japanese company upon graduation. This followed a period in which he felt ill at ease about the Japanese language, local living customs and his move to pursue higher education. When seeking to land a job, Mr. Uemura used to make a list of what he wanted to do and then search for a job related to a list item. How did he develop a path for himself? Referring to his experience, he said he used to map out his future.
Part 2: Student Workshop and Parent Workshop
Workshop sessions were held for students and parents as separate ones.
The student workshop got elementary school and junior high school students to think about what they wanted to do and thus what kinds of job would be available. These students each gave a presentation while getting tips and advice from high school students present.
The parent workshop outlined Japan’s school system (elementary school, junior high school, senior high school and university, public and private ones), applicable fee items (tuition, travel expenses, meal expenses and school tour expenses) and entrance examination taking (eligibility and examination subjects), coupled with a tuition subsidy system, among other things, and offered counselling to the parents.
Part 3: Counselling
Experts such as Certified Administrative Scriveners offered counselling to the event participants individually with regard to visa status, finances, school life and entrance examination taking.
The event participants found the path fair useful as information was given in detail and counselling was provided individually. The keynote lecture “Map Out Your Future” based on Mr. Kamimura’s own experience was a morale booster for the participant students.
This event was run as a dormant deposit account project.
(Translated by Mr. KIM Harukichi)
