Taijin here. This is my first posting to the group.

Taijin here. This is my first posting to the group.

[Interactive Exchange Meeting Between Local Residents and Foreign Residents]

This afternoon, I participated in an [Interactive Exchange Meeting Between Local Residents and Foreign Residents] at the invitation of the district’s neighborhood association federation. After listening to a presentation on the current situation of foreign residents in Kumamoto City, we broke into nine groups to introduce ourselves and discuss the challenges foreigners face.

In my group, three women have lived in Kumamoto for over 30 years and two Vietnamese women who had recently arrived in Japan. We discussed various aspects of livability and difficulties from different perspectives. Among them was a woman from Obiyama who loves Kawashiri but mentioned that her lack of a driver’s license limits her freedom to go out. We learned that there is a “Foreign Wives’ Association,” and if invited, about eight members could gather quickly, so we discussed possibly organizing an event.

In the end, the foreign participants were eagerly waiting to see the kimono-clad young girls perform, and they received a great ovation.

It seems that with the influx of foreigners related to TSMC, facilitating rich exchanges is becoming increasingly important. To do this, it’s desirable to share and understand local Japanese customs, implicit manners, and unique cooking methods to promote better integration and interaction.