YOUTH WITH FOREIGN BACKGROUNDS
Young people with foreign backgrounds are connected to foreign countries in different ways including children whose parent(s) have foreign nationality and children who were brought to Japan due to family circumstances. These young people often face difficulty in learning the language, school subjects and cultural differences while exerting enormous efforts to overcome these difficulties.
“Rainbow Space” - Community place for youth with foreign backgrounds
“Rainbow Space” is a community place organized and managed by Naka International Lounge for young people with foreign backgrounds (mainly students in junior high school, high school and university) since 2018.
In “Rainbow Space,” activities such as those listed below are provided to help young people of diverse backgrounds explore and expand their future opportunities.
Personal development through training and experience, tutoring for Junior High School and High School students in their school subjects, information provision, and supporting expressive activities including movie film making. “Rainbow Space” serves as a base for young people with foreign backgrounds to engage in voluntary activities under the motto of “A safe place to be, a space to connect people who want to learn and study, and a place where people can realize and express their true potential.”
“Rainbow Space” Activities
“Rainbow Space” is open on every Monday 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with programs such as;
“Find Friends” activities, Debate Competition, Quiz session, Talk session with seniors, Theatrical presentations. With special expertise, we have been making contributions to local communities in deepening cross cultural understanding through participating in local events and presenting at the international festivals.
Summer Holiday Study Aid for elementary school students
Naka Ward Multicultural Festival
Debate Competition
Theatrical presentation
Sports event
3R promotion activities
2019 Self-produced movie
“Live true to myself”
In 2019, “Rainbow Expedition Team” was challenged to produce a movie based on a true story of young people participating in “Rainbow Space”. The movie presents a theme of living true to oneself.
Making a motion video
“Prevention of Kitchen Fire at Restaurants”
In cooperation of Naka International Lounge and Naka Fire Station, young people with foreign backgrounds belonging to “Rainbow Expedition Team” took part in Chinese translation and performance in the video “Prevention of Kitchen Fire at Restaurants”.
2021 Self-produced Animated film
“How do you want to be tomorrow?”
2021 Self-produced movie
“I want to fall in love”
“I want to be not only the "me" that meets someone else's expectations, but also to be "me" as I truly am. We want to express what we really want to do.
This is a story of young people expressing what they really want to do with their true voices.
Study support classroom for foreign Junior High School students
It is very difficult to study in a foreign country. Particularly, when foreign students want to study at High School in Japan, which is not compulsory anymore, it becomes necessary to understand the complicated Japanese entrance examination system and overcome language issues to pass entrance examinations. Even though students are able to understand and use Japanese, if their guardians cannot understand Japanese, it is difficult to advise their children in terms of the education and examination system. In this sense, a variety of supports are required.
In the study support classroom for foreign junior high school students of Naka International Lounge, foreign students are able to deepen communication ability and assistance in school subjects through programs coordinated by Naka International Lounge in cooperation with Junior High Schools in Naka Ward and Naka Ward Office. Coordinators of foreign nationalities who have experience in studying in Japan are dispatched and citizen volunteers as well as graduates also participate as supporters in this study support classroom. (Every Thursday from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm)
In cooperation with junior high schools
Roles of
Junior High Schools
Recommendation to the study support classroom of students with foreign backgrounds and sharing the updated learning status of those students with the coordinators.
Cooperation with the Naka International Lounge's supporter training sessions.
Roles of
Naka International Lounge
We support students with foreign backgrounds to acquire cognitive academic language proficiency and identify struggles in their studies.
