Los Esfuerzos de Yokohama por Cultivar una Sociedad Multicultural

The City of Yokohama perseveres in various efforts to develop a multicultural society.

Based on the Yokohama International Community Development Guidelines established in March 2007, the city government, citizens, and staff of NGOs and public entities established the Yokohama International Community Development Promotion Committee in 2007 in pursuit of community development efforts promoting thoroughgoing internationalism.

Based on the reports of the Yokohama International Community Development Exploratory Committee comprising Japanese and foreign experts, the Yokohama International Community Development Guidelines were established in March 2007.

The population of foreign nationals residing in Yokohama City increases steadily every year, resulting in an ever-growing need to provide Japanese language learning support. Yokohama began assistive efforts for Japanese language learning programs in 2010 with the goal of establishing a local system in support of Japanese language acquisition.

The City of Yokohama is setting up International Lounges in various wards throughout the city. These lounges provide living information, multilingual consultations for foreign residents, Japanese language classes, volunteer interpreter dispatch services and opportunities to participate in exchange activities with Japanese citizens. Civic activity groups, NPOs, public foundations and many citizen volunteers work together to operate the International Lounges.

YOKE is a public foundation that carries out activities in support of foreign nationals living in Yokohama.