Have you ever come across words like, “Go back to your country”?

Across the world today, ideas that promote division and exclusion are spreading—and Japan is no exception, with real-world consequences that reach even into election results.

At the heart of such rhetoric lies a single emotion: fear.
When we encounter something unfamiliar or something we cannot understand, fear or unease is a natural first reaction. If someone has never spoken with a foreigner or shared a meal, it is perhaps only natural that they might carry vague anxieties.

According to the latest UNHCR data, by the end of 2024, 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, and violence. Seventy-three percent of the world’s refugees are hosted in low- and middle-income countries.
This imbalance calls for global solidarity and shared responsibility through a whole-of-society approach.

In Japan today, about 3.58 million foreign nationals live here—including an estimated 100,000 with a refugee background (*).
As Japan’s population continues to decline, accepting foreign nationals as new members of society is not just inevitable—it is an opportunity. With the number of refugees worldwide continuing to rise, welcoming them as active contributors can bring benefits not only to the refugees themselves and to Japan, but to the international community as a whole.

The challenge—and the opportunity—we face now is learning how to respect our differences and live together.

To make “living together” a reality, we must first acknowledge fear honestly.
And then, we must replace it with human connection: creating chances to meet, talk, share meals, and build friendships—one encounter at a time.

This is why, today, we are inviting you—reading these words right now—to join us.

We are launching a one-month WELgee Family membership campaign to spread the spirit of “living together” across Japan and beyond.

※What is the WELgee Family?
The WELgee Family is a community of supporters who stand behind young refugees in Japan, helping them achieve independence and realize their full potential. We work together to create opportunities for them to thrive and contribute their talents in Japanese society. You can join from as little as 1,000 yen per month.

For nearly 10 years, Nonprofit Corporation WELgee has been working alongside refugees who have fled to Japan.
Since our founding, one of our most cherished values has been creating opportunities to meet, talk, and become friends with people—not just seeing them through the lens of “refugee” status.

Compared to Western countries, Japan has a smaller number of refugees relative to its population, making them largely invisible within society.

we often heard from Japanese people:

“Are there refugees in Japan? Isn’t that just a Western issue?”
“I’ve never spoken to a refugee before.”

At the same time, many refugees told us they had no Japanese friends. Opportunities for everyday encounters and relationships between Japanese people and refugees are rare.

That’s why we started activities like the WELgee Salon and refugee homestays—sharing conversations, playing, laughing, and eating together. We began slowly but steadily creating those experiences in society.

・Young people who took action for peace
・A doctor once active in their home country
・Parents who dearly love their children

Some were bright and cheerful, others a bit moody—but through working together, we came to know each one as a unique individual, full of emotions and personality.

Now, our main focus is employment coordination—connecting refugee talents with companies where they can apply their skills and experience.

When refugee talents succeed in their roles, their colleagues’ perceptions of “refugees” often change dramatically. This work is also about creating opportunities to meet, talk, and become friends.

So far, we have facilitated 51 successful job matches, with about 40 hundred people gaining a “refugee colleague” , as a result of our program.

Of course, the path to employment is not easy. Refugees face language barriers, differences between their home country’s and Japan’s job markets, information gaps, and visa issues. Over 150 probonos have volunteered their time and expertise to walk alongside them through these challenges. Many of these had never met a refugee before. Supporting someone into employment has become, for them, a real opportunity to meet, talk, and even become close friends.

Even after 10 years of work, many Japanese people still say, “I’ve never spoken with a refugee.” And many job-seeking “internationals” still say they have no Japanese friends. The lack of everyday encounters creates invisible walls—walls that fuel division and exclusion.

Now, we aim to grow the number of Japanese who live together with refugees, and from there, to shift what is “normal” in our society.

With your support, we will continue to challenge new approaches:

Spaces where people can casually meet, talk, and become friends—sharing meals, laughing, and enjoying time together. These spaces allow us to notice each person’s unique qualities and connect as friends.

For many companies, hiring refugee talent is still far from an obvious choice. We aim to make it a normal option for business growth. Through the “Refugee Talent Success Platform,” we will work with supportive companies and organizations to spread this practice.

The theme of “refugees and careers” is not unique to Japan—it is a global issue.
As Japan faces social challenges earlier than many other countries, such as population decline and aging, it can offer a valuable model for the world by exploring and implementing refugee acceptance in ways that fit its own social context.
By learning from innovative efforts and ideas abroad, and through ongoing mutual exchange, we aim to foster a global circulation of knowledge.

WELgee’s goal is a society where, regardless of one’s background or circumstances, people can build the future together.

This is not just “for refugees.” It is about empowering all of society to respect and embrace differences—whether they be in gender, nationality, beliefs, abilities, or ways of thinking—through meaningful, firsthand experiences with people from diverse backgrounds.

We will continue, step by step, to expand what we can do, moving toward a society where “living together” is not just an ideal, but a shared reality.

Your ongoing support is the foundation of our work. It enables us to support more refugees and create more opportunities for everyone to connect, collaborate, and live together in harmony.

If you have ever wished for a more inclusive society—one that builds bridges instead of walls—we warmly invite you to join us on this journey.

Our goal for this campaign is to welcome 200 new WELgee Family members within one month.

From just ￥1,000 (around $7 / €6) a month, you can support at your own pace. Your contribution helps us walk alongside refugees as they build their careers and connect with companies and communities throughout Japan.

We know change takes time. But your support creates more chances to meet, share stories, and build friendships—and step by step, society changes for the better.

Let’s not deepen divisions—let’s shape our future together.

We would be honored to take that first step with you.

Since becoming the new representative, I’ve been reflecting daily on WELgee’s purpose and potential. I’ve realized again that this is not just an organization that responds to someone’s needs—it is one that has always faced “society” head-on.

Our goal is to make “living together” not just a slogan, but a normal part of society.
To do that, we must move forward while engaging deeply with many people—through dialogue, through conflict, through failure.

Change doesn’t happen in a single day. But if we have people walking with us, we can keep moving forward, even slowly.

I hope this campaign will be a chance to meet more of those “people walking with us.”
May the moment these words reach you be the starting point for our shared journey into the future.

※ WELgee’s Perspective on “Refugees”
As the backgrounds and social circumstances that give rise to displacement become increasingly diverse and complex, many people are forced to flee their homelands in ways that go beyond the traditional definition of a refugee. WELgee supports individuals—regardless of their residency status—who currently face life-threatening risks and cannot return to their country of origin. This includes recognized refugees, individuals under complementary protection, asylum seekers, de facto refugees (such as former international students unable to return home), and those granted emergency evacuation measures (e.g., from Myanmar or Sudan).