Where We Call Home

The number of people who've chosen Japan to be their new home reached the highest in history in 2019, exceeding 2.8 million. They bring new color to the country, yet many foreigners struggle to fit in. This program offers a glimpse into their lives and the hardships they face in Japanese society. More than 600 dealers from around Asia and the Middle East gather at a huge used vehicle auction. They are foreign exporters who came to live in Japan, hunting for the best deal and trying to make it big in their adoptive country. A devout Pakistani Muslim, Mian Mohammad Sadiq is one of them. We follow him in his daily struggles as he tries to compromise between his beliefs and the local values. We also look at the life of a young American woman who's studying to become a sake specialist.

"Little India" in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward is a community of about 4,000 Indian nationals first established about 20 years ago. However, they have little connection with Japanese locals and are seen mostly as outsiders. Puranik Yogendra, on whom this episode focuses, is working to change this by actively taking part in neighborhood association projects and teaching his fellow Indians local customs and habits. Also a ward council member, he now aims to set up a Japanese school for Indian children. We also visit a young Nepalese manager of an izakaya, a Japanese-style bar restaurant.

Neighborhood relations, childcare, PTA: in Japan, issues that involve women are plenty and part of everyday routine. But for women from abroad, they can be obstacles to adapting to life in Japan. Nina Hakkarainen, a Kyoto-based Finnish woman, founded an organization offering support to non-Japanese women. As we tag along in her work, we look at the struggles of foreign women to become active members of society. We also visit the kawaii side of Harajuku with a charismatic shop clerk from France.